Memories
by reddwarfaddict
Summary: Stranded with an injured Doctor in Medieval England, Donna soon finds out he's been here before, never to return. What happened? Why do they ask for Rose and Jack? Did he leave more than secrets behind in Medieval England? Those damn memories. DoctorWhump
1. Memories

**A/N: **Disclaimer: I claim this disclaimer to disclaim my disclaim of my disclaimer. Noodles!

This is my first full-length Donna fic so I'm still sliding into her character, any critique on how to improve writing her are welcomed :D

* * *

_All of my memories keep you near.  
In silent moments,  
Imagine you'd be here.  
All of my memories keep you near,  
In silent whispers, silent tears._

**_"Memories" by Within Temptation  
_**

Chapter 1 – Memories

"I am never goin' on one of your 'shortcuts' _again, _spaceman!_" _

The Doctor was struggling desperately not to laugh at his companion's expense as Donna Noble squelched into the TARDIS after him, absolutely drenched and caked in fast-drying mud. He tried not to look at her, instead applying total concentration to picking at the lining of the chair he was sat on. He heard more squelches as Donna moved over towards him, looking down angrily.

"You could've bloody _told _me there were quicksand pits!!!"

"Well I got you out, didn't I?" the Doctor countered.

She stared at him with a look of pure indignation. "At the last possible _second!"_

"Be no fun otherwise!" the Doctor chirped in reply happily.

"Excuse me? No fun?!" Donna shrieked, "no fun?!" She stepped close to him, causing him to shrink back in the seat. "So at my funeral you'll make a speech and say, 'oh well, didn't quite save 'er at the last minute but at least it was fun'?!"

Still smiling, he gestured to the TARDIS inner door before turning to input destination settings. "Go get cleaned up. You smell."

Her glare was enough to kill, and the Doctor winced.

"Sorry," he tried to say, but ended up snorting with laughter halfway through as he looked at her muddy form.

"You're not bloody sorry! You're an idiotic big-headed thirteen-faced spiky-haired probably-homosexual two-dimensional MARTIAN BOY!"

The Doctor grinned happily at the insult before his face became solemn. "Seriously," he began, rubbing his left ear thoughtfully. "You really smell. The stench might start damaging parts of the TARDIS in a minute."

With another evil glare, she went to get cleaned up.

* * *

_"Doctor!"_

_ The Doctor looked up from where he stood next to the console, Rose bounding towards him with a huge smile stretched across her face. Her smile was infectious and soon the Doctor found himself grinning too for no apparent reason._

_ "What's up?" he asked, and she stretched out her arms, hugging him tightly to which he returned. She clung on tightly for several more seconds, not seeming to be about to let him go._

_ "Nothing," she finally answered, still clinging on. "It's just really fun huggin' you."_

_ He laughed. "Fair enough. Where d'you want to go today?"_

_ "S'your ship," she countered._

_ "You're the guest," he insisted, "make a choice!"_

_ Rose finally drew back from him, turning towards the console and looking over the millions of buttons and levers spread across the surface._

_ "Isn't there a random button?" she asked, bewildered. The Doctor's grin widened to the proportions of The Grinch._

_ "Okay, okay," he said, moving forward to operate the console. "Random destination coming up!"_

_ Rose watched him as he began to bounce around the TARDIS console, hammering the very buttons and levers she'd been staring at in a seemingly random order. The TARDIS landed surprisingly smoothly at their destination and the Doctor ran across the console room, grabbing his coat and throwing it on as he turned back to Rose. Her eyes were wide and sparkling, electricity bouncing through them that the Doctor found a joy to see. He recognised it – it was that joy, the anticipation of a brand new world not yet discovered._

_ "Ready?" he asked._

_ "Doctor," she suddenly said softly, her expression remaining the same. "Doctor."_

_ "What?" he questioned, confused. Suddenly he felt himself being shaken back and forth erratically. "Wow, we got turbulence in here or something?" _

_ "Doctor," she repeated, louder this time. "Doctor, wake up you lazy alien git, Doctor, Doctor!"_

The Doctor's eyes opened to come face-to-face with Donna Noble, shouting at him and shaking his shoulder. The dream faded away and he found he'd been asleep. He was sat crossed-legged on a beanbag in the TARDIS library, a book on temporal space physics and the theories of infinite multifaceted polygons and their properties (just a bit of light reading before bed) opened on his lap. Donna was still shaking him.

"Donna!" he said in protest, "I'm awake, you can stop now!"

"Bloody hell," she said, letting go of him. "You sleep like a hibernating hedgehog on Night Nurse!"

"What is it?" he asked irritably.

"The TARDIS console room lights keep goin' on and off," she said, "and buttons are flashin' that I don't think are s'posed to flash."

"You woke me up for that?"

"No. I wanted to see if you would like some tea," she said sarcastically. "Of course I woke you for that!" she yelled. "I thought we were gonna crash or somethin'!"

The Doctor sighed, moving the book aside onto a handy table and hauling himself to his feet. He pulled on his jacket and shoes and made his way sluggishly to the console room, Donna closely following.

"Looks fine to me," he said as he entered the familiar circular room, lights on, only buttons flashing that flashed normally.

Her jaw dropped, but only for a second. "A minute ago it was all over the place."

He walked up to the console, flicking a few switches. "I'll run a diagnostics check if it'll make you feel better."

"A-" Donna began but was suddenly cut off by a huge jolt, the Doctor reaching out to steady her. She looked practically violated. "Oi!" she slapped his hands off of her, but he was far too focused on the TARDIS.

"What's wrong with you?" he said softly, massaging the central column with a caring hand.

"Is it all right?" Donna asked anxiously. The Doctor didn't reply, tapping a few more buttons as if to gauge a reaction.

And oh boy, did he get one.

The TARDIS lurched dramatically, sending the both of them careering across the room and landing with a crash on the grating. The Doctor was on his feet in a second, pulling Donna up and placing her hands to grip on the ridges in the TARDIS console.

"What the bloody 'ell was that?" Donna gasped, watching the Doctor bounce more around the TARDIS.

"Just an air pocket!" the Doctor answered as he frantically turned dials and hammered more buttons.

"Oh all right." Donna relaxed, staying quiet for a few moments before she suddenly frowned. "Hold on," she said suddenly, "air pockets don't even exist!" She paused, and thought about this some more. "Wait! Even if air pockets _did _exist, we're in _space! _There isn't any _air_ for there to be _pockets _of!"

The Doctor was ignoring her. "C'mon girl," he was addressing the TARDIS now, "if you don't tell me what's wrong I can't fix it!"

The TARDIS lurched again, sending the Doctor sprawling headlong into a support strut as Donna held desperately onto the ridge. He was back on his feet within seconds.

"One word," Donna breathed, _"airbags!"_

The TARDIS landed.

The Doctor looked at Donna for a moment before his eyes flickered over to the door, frowning. Without a word, he picked up his coat from the strut and threw it around his shoulders, slipping out the door.

"Oh no you don't, Space Boy! Not without me!" said Donna, now pursuing the Doctor.

They emerged into a large forest, a gentle breeze ruffling the leaves of the surrounding trees. They had landed beside a clear pathway, and the Doctor skipped over a few fallen branches to get to it. He dug his hands into his pockets and looked above at the sky where the sun was shining brightly in a baby blue sky.

"Where are we?" Donna asked, stepping out of the TARDIS precariously.

"Dunno," the Doctor replied simply, whirling around to look at the scenery so fast that it made Donna feel light-headed just looking at him. "The TARDIS was very keen on bringing us here, though."

"Bad something?" Donna proposed. The Doctor drew a breath.

"Quite possibly." He turned to her suddenly, eyes narrow, watching her carefully. "Wanna go back in the TARDIS?"

"Are you kiddin' me?" she demanded instantly, moving forward to grab his hand and yanking them both away from the comfort zone of the TARDIS. "Come on! Discovery!"

* * *

An hour later and the only thing Donna had discovered was that she _hated _forests. This particular forest they'd landed in seemed to go on for _miles_. It wasn't long before Donna was utterly and hopelessly lost in the middle of nowhere and of course, the Doctor was being no help at all. He seemed to be revelling in her lack of sense in direction and was giving unhelpful comments such as, "I'm sure I recognise that rock", "that stick wasn't there before" and, "did you ever see The Blair Witch Project?".

Finally, Donna gave up, turning to the Doctor.

"Okay, you win, you're brilliant, get me out of here," she said. The Doctor persisted with his inane, winsome grin.

"But of course," he said, turning on his heel and striding off back the way Donna had led them. "By my calculations," he was saying as they reached a wide, muddy and plant-covered rockface of an 80º angle, looking a little over five metres high. "The TARDIS should be just over this."

"Up you get then," Donna said, making no move to ascend. The Doctor grabbed onto a rock hold and pulled himself up, making short work of scaling it to the top. He peered over the edge at the top and suddenly froze.

In the seconds that followed, Donna's entire life turned upside-down.

There was a cry of surprise accompanied with a bloodlust roar, which evidently covered up the sound of an arrow being propelled by a bowstring. The Doctor was suddenly thrown backwards with the impact of something, half scrambling weakly on the muddy holds up the wall, struggling to keep his balance but failing, miserably. He was going to fall…

"Doctor!" she gasped, throwing out her arms as if she thought she could somehow catch him, but she could only watch, shocked and helpless as the Time Lord finally lost his grip. It was as if in slow-motion when he ultimately fell, bouncing off of the various rocks and ridges of the slope and seconds later arriving at the bottom unmoving, something long and wooden sticking out of his shoulder. "Doctor? Doctor?!" her voice dropped to merely a whisper, terrified as she moved towards him. "Doctor!"

There was a huge gash inched across his forehead, blood seeping out and snail-trailing over his eye and down his cheek with his eyes were closed, but the worst was yet to come. There was a long wooden arrow sticking in his shoulder, more blood spilling from around the point of entry. Donna's heart raced as she tried to decide on what to do. Right, first aid, she'd been taught this… Clean handkerchief to stem blood flow… She couldn't move him in case of neck injury…

"After him! Make sure he's dead!" a voice bellowed from over the top of the hill, and Donna panicked. She had to hide. Her eyes quickly scanned over their surroundings, finally snapping on a hole big enough from someone to crawl through covered by ivy – a cave. She had no choice but to move him.

She slipped her arms beneath his, pulling his unconscious body across the bumpy terrain. Whoever had fired this arrow into him were getting closer…

She ducked down into the cave, pulling aside the ivy to drag the Doctor through. The ivy bounced back as soon as they'd passed through and seconds later someone was clambering down the rock face, chinking as though they were made of metal.

Donna waited with baited breath, hoping and praying to the God she didn't believe in that they would just give up and go away.

"Where is he?" one asked in a gruff voice, sounding close to Donna.

"Must have run off," a second voice replied, just as gravely, "but he won't get far. I got him, I swear." The footsteps began to move away.

"Then let him die somewhere. Boss says we got to move."

The conversation faded as the men moved away.

Donna's attentions instantly turned back to the Doctor, who was still unconscious in her lap. She pressed harder on his shoulder wound, trying in vain to stop it bleeding. She took off her conveniently worn scarf and tied it around his shoulder, being careful not to move the embedded arrow.

"Doctor," she whispered, "Doctor! Wake up, I need you!"

The amount of blood that had spread from his head wound had made him unrecognisable, and Donna was – for once – beginning to fear for his life. He was an alien, could he die from blood loss? There was no way she'd be able to get him to the TARDIS, even if it _was _up the rock face as the Doctor had said.

After a few moments of consideration, she made a decision.

"I'm gonna go find you 'elp, okay?" she said, "just… don't move!"

She took off her jacket, folding it up and slipping it under his head before lowering it to the floor with deliberate care. Seconds later, she had gone.

* * *

**A/N: **Doctor whump? :D

I SWEAR I'll be working more on the 'prequel-ish' one but it's hit a wall...


	2. Martin and Joshua

**A/N: **Woo! Reviews! I feel loved :D

* * *

Chapter 2 – Martin and Joshua

"There!"

Joshua's father suddenly flung out an arm to prevent him from taking another step through the woodland, which Joshua unquestioningly obeyed. His deep brown eyes flickered crazily around the horizon for any signs of what his father was looking at until they finally fixed on the deer stood in the clearing having a meal.

"There's dinner," his father was saying, reaching up to draw an iron arrow out of the quiver on his back and handing it to the five-year-old child. "Can you do it?"

Joshua looked up at the older man, a certain amount of fear in his eyes.

"Y-yes," he stuttered, taking off his bow and lifting it up towards the deer, the arrow braced against the bowstring.

"Steady your aim, Joshua."

Joshua pulled back on the bowstring, aiming towards the deer. He was nervous, yes. It was his first kill. At the age of five all of the boys in the village were taken for their 'initiation' where they where meant to kill a deer to be accepted – his father had been talking about it non-stop ever since Joshua could remember, and Joshua had been understandably excited. But now it had finally reached the point in time, the point where he had to fire this deadly arrow into the poor, defenceless animal…

Slowly, he lowered the bow. He could feel his father's eyes on him, confused.

"What's the problem?"

"I don't wanna do it," the boy said in a small voice, ashamed. Martin dropped to his haunches beside his child, lifting the boy's head to face him.

"Why not?"

Tears were in Joshua's eyes. "What if he gots a family? What if he gots a wife and little babies? What they gonna do without a daddy?"

His hand dropped from the boy's chin. "Joshua, it's just the circle of life. We kill them to eat them, we've got to have a way to survive."

"But daddy!" Joshua carried on, getting confident now. "What if you were him? What if someone came to kill and eat you and you lefted me and mummy all alone?"

His father didn't have an answer to that one.

"What we gonna do if you die?" Joshua was yelling now, determined for his father to listen. "Why have I gots to kill him when he's just like us?!"

"Joshua!" his father rested both hands on the boy's shoulder and he finally fell silent. "You're just too clever for your own good; asking unanswerable questions. It's not our choice to kill these animals, it's just how Mondrith intended it to be."

After a moment Joshua nodded, looking back over to the clearing where the deer once stood – but it was gone. His father smiled gently at the boy's deflated expression.

"You scared him off," he remarked. "Oh well, let's try again tomorrow, right?"

"Right," Joshua nodded, determined. His father slipped his hand into his and led him back across the woodland. It was still early in the morning so plenty of light was to be had, shining through the gaps into the trees and illuminating their path back to the village. Joshua looked up at his father striding calmly beside him – he wasn't angry that Joshua hadn't been able to kill the deer.

Suddenly there was rustling from the right of the pathway – a person was coming towards them, moving through the forest. Joshua instantly reached out to his father, scared. There were bandits dwelling in this part of the woods.

He felt his father tense, putting a protective arm around him and pulling him close as they walked on, pretending to be oblivious.

"Hey! Hey, you!" came a muffled voice from behind.

Joshua followed his father's lead as they walked on, ignoring the voice.

"Please!" it was a woman with an accent that wasn't local, and Martin registered this immediately. A traveller?

He turned to look at her. She was a pretty red-haired woman perhaps in her forties, but her hands were covered with blood.

"Are you injured?" Martin asked as he moved towards her. Joshua hid behind his leg, scared.

"No, but my friend is!" she said, breathless, "he's been shot with an arrow, these men attacked us…"

Martin nodded as he took her arm gently and pulled her back the way she'd come. "This way?" he asked.

"Yeah!"

She led Martin back through the forest, for a moment wondering if she'd just got lost again but breathed a sigh of relief when she came upon the familiar cliff and the door of ivy.

"He's in 'ere," she said, pulling back the ivy curtain to reveal the small hole in which a pair of feet were currently sticking out of. Martin purposely pushed Joshua away.

"Joshua, I want you to stand there and look the other way, okay?"

Joshua nodded quickly, biting his lip. He heard his father shuffle around behind him and he couldn't help but risk a glance over his shoulder to see what he was doing. The person was now out of the cave, his face and shoulder caked in blood to such a degree Joshua couldn't actually distinguish recognisable facial features. He had a deep, long gash across his forehead with an arrow stuck into his left shoulder. Martin studied the arrow carefully from where it was embedded.

"This is an arrow of the _Malum_," Martin muttered under his breath, but Joshua's keen hearing picked it up.

"The who?" the red-haired woman wondered.

"We need to take him to Larec, our village Healer," Martin carried on, ignoring her question. He slipped his arms underneath the blood-drenched body and Joshua quickly spun around to look forward as his father turned back to him again.

"Back to the village," he said.

* * *

"Was it bandits, Martin?" Father Jace was asking as Martin carried the blooded and unconscious body through the church in his arms. Father Jace's silvery, brittle hair that easily reflected his age caught the light in a ghostly way. "The forest can bristle with them at this time of the year." There was a hint of sadness in his tone. "Much like the raids five years ago."

Joshua's father seemed to shudder at the latter part of the sentence, and old memory creeping up on him. "I sincerely hope not," he answered as the Joshua tagged along beside him, the woman whose name was Donna keeping close to the man in Martin's arms. Martin had tried to get him to stay behind with his mother but not matter what, the boy had refused.

"Is he gonna be okay, daddy?" Joshua asked and Martin glanced at Donna before he looked down at Joshua, smiling reassuringly.

"He'll be fine, Joshua, Larec will see to that. He's the best healer in the whole of Olbian."

"That's me!" a voice suddenly said from the doorway up ahead and Joshua grinned, running up to the man and hugging him tightly. "Hello Joshua, did this have something to do with you?"

Joshua's eyes widened. "What? No! I didn't!"

Larec laughed out loud. "I was joking! Have you got a guilty conscience?"

"No! I swears I didn't do anything, daddy, I swears…"

Martin rolled his eyes at the boy, giving Larec the injured man carefully. "I know, Joshua. Let's wait here whilst Larec tends to his wounds."

* * *

**A/N: **Olbian... Albion... Yes, I love Fable...


	3. Step Back In Time

**A/N: **Sorry, bit of a gap, wasn't it? Don't know why O.O

I just discovered Trock! Thank you DWM! It RULES!

* * *

Chapter 3 – Step Back In Time…

_Flashback…_

_"My name is Larec."_

_"'Ello Larec," the man greeted. "I'm the Doctor, and this is Rose." The woman gave Larec a small wave from next to the man, at least a head shorter than he was._

_ "Ahem!" came a loud voice from behind them and the man called the Doctor rolled his eyes. _

_ "Oh yeah, and this is Jack."_

_ Another tall man appeared behind the Doctor and Rose, short black hair and bright blue eyes. He had an accent Larec was unable to place. He smiled at Larec, moving forward towards the man to shake his hand._

_ "I'm Cap'n Jack Harkness… he announced. "And who might you be?"_

_ "Jack!" the Doctor warned, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder and pulling him back. "There's a time and a place!"_

_ "Ten o'clock, your room?" Jack suggested, looking at the Doctor with a shiny white-toothed grin. The Doctor sighed and rolled his eyes._

_ "Anyway," the Doctor said, turning back to Larec. "We're merely travellers, passing through."_

_ "You'll have to present yourself to Father Jace first," Larec informed them, gesturing towards a grand looking church off to the right – out of place in the surroundings of wooden huts and vegetable patches. "It will only take a moment."_

_ Rose and Jack looked at the Doctor, who was nodding at Larec. _

_ "Sure, no problem."_

_ Larec lead them towards the church, the doors already open and inviting them in._

_ "Larec?" a voice came from the altar the other side of the church. The Doctor, Rose and Jack all focused on the figure kneeling on the floor, now turned around to see who had entered._

_ "Father Jace, this is the Doctor, Rose and Jack." Larec pointed to them each in turn._

_ The priest got onto his feet, turning around to face them with his hands together in prayer. "Welcome to our village, strangers. What do you require of us?"_

_ "We're travellers from a far off distant land," the Doctor supplied, feeling Jack and Rose's eyes on him. "We're just passing through, but we'd love a quick look around whilst we're here." _

_ "Certainly, I shall arrange a guide for you." Father Jace bowed courteously. "Do you require any form of nourishment or a bed for the night?"_

_ The Doctor shook his head. "Nah don't worry, we'll be out your way soon enough."_

_ Father Jace smiled gently. "Of course. Larec, would you mind taking them on a walk around the village?"_

_ "Of course not, Father," Larec replied, smiling. He gestured towards the door. "Come."_

_

* * *

  
_

_The more and more they explored the tiny little village, the more and more the three realised just how much of a community this was. It wasn't a large village – thirty people, maybe less – and everyone treated everyone else with upright courtesy. People left bags of gold open outside their door, unafraid of thieves._

_ "In our village we worship a unique God," Larec explained, "the Goddess Mondrith. Whilst other Gods command, she does not. She merely suggests and we choose whether to obey or not."_

_ "I noticed you have no gallows," the Doctor remarked, hands in pockets as he gazed at his near surroundings._

_ "We do not have crime here," Larec replied simply as they entered into an aisle of more wooden houses. "Anyone proved undoubtedly to have committed a crime is exiled from our commun-"_

_ Then someone screamed._

_ The Doctor was off in an instant, tearing through the village with the others hot on his tail. He burst in through the door of a random house coming face-to-face with an unnerving sight. A brown-haired woman was lying on a dirty-sheeted bed with tears running down her face, with what must've been her husband – a tall, well-built blond-haired man – holding her in comfort. At the foot of the bed stood another woman: blond, blue eyed, but those blue eyes were awash with sorrow as she looked down at the small bundle of cloth in her arms. It was clear the woman on the bed had just given birth._

_ "Gabrielle?" Larec was addressing the woman holding the bundle of cloth. She didn't manage to muster a reply. Rose bit her lip, somehow already knowing what had happened before the Doctor moved over to check the bundle, then gave a shake of his head. Tears began to well up in her eyes and Jack extended his arm, drawing Rose into a supportive hug._

_ "I'm so sorry," the Doctor said._

_ "It's fine," the man replied, still holding his wife close. _

_ "You just lost a baby," Rose whispered, shocked they could be so casual._

_ "It is our third," the man sighed. "One is to be expected. Twice is unlucky. But three times… that is fate. Maybe Mondrith never intended for us to have children."_

_ The Doctor moved forward towards the woman, smiling gently at her as he reached out. "Do you mind?"_

_ She shook her head, gesturing for him to sit down. He did so, checking her over._

_ "Sorry, what's your name?" the Doctor asked, maintaining her gaze._

_ "Elizabeth," she answered._

_ "I'm Martin," the man offered. The Doctor shot him the same reassuring smile. _

_ "I'm the Doctor, these are my friends Rose and Jack." He nodded to them each in turn still standing in the doorway. "We were just being given a tour by Larec here when we heard you scream and came to help."_

_ "I thank you," Martin nodded courteously to the Doctor. The Doctor reinforced his reassuring, casual smile as he got up from the bed, hands in pockets._

_ "I suggest you get some rest, Elizabeth," the Doctor said and she nodded, about to settle back against the pillows of the bed but the Doctor spoke once more, turning to Larec. "Does Father Jace have a clean bed in his church?" He inclined with his head towards the mud and blood streaked sheets of the bed Elizabeth currently occupied. Larec paused for a moment, before nodding._

_ "Of course."_

_ "I'll repay you if it's any inconvenience."_

_ "No, none at all."_

_ "Thanks," the Doctor said with another smile, slipping through the doorway and back onto the street, Rose and Jack following behind him. He led them towards a deserted corner of the district, turning to face a wall before drawing his hands out of his pockets and bringing with it a scanner. He studied it for a moment._

_ "Yeah, that stillbirth was inevitable," the Doctor said to his two companions. "Genetic problems. She'll never have children."_

_ "That's…" Rose began, still shaken from seeing the dead child. "That's not fair, though. Can't you do somethin'?"_

_ He shook his head. "This day and age with her, never."_

_ "Did you bring us here just to get depressed, Doc?" Jack suddenly inputted from the side. _

_ "No, sorry…" the Doctor muttered, studying the scanner again. "Well, we'd better get back to the TARDIS then…" he suddenly trailed off, staring at the scanner._

_ "What is it?" Rose asked anxiously. The Doctor's eyebrows slowly rose to his hairline._

_ "Something that just made things a whole lot more interesting." He gave the scanner a hard shake, holding it to his ear before checking it again. "Alien interference."_

_ "There's somethin' alien here?" Jack asked. The Doctor nodded, still abusing the scanner. "Bad or good?"_

_ The Doctor took a deep breath. "Dunno, yet. Looks like our visit got longer." _

_

* * *

  
_

They'd barely been waiting ten minutes before Larec popped his head around the doorframe to meet the gaze of Martin, Joshua and Father Jace.

"Father, can I have a word?" Larec asked. Confused, Father Jace nodded and got to his feet, slipping inside the room. Donna had since disappeared, no doubt to calm down and clean up.

Larec didn't say a word as he led Father Jace over to the body of the now clean and bandaged man, pointing at him. Father Jace's hand rose to meet his mouth in a silent gasp.

"By the Goddess Mondrith!"

"What are we going to do, Father?" Larec questioned anxiously, his usually calm demeanour flying out of the window. "Why is he back here?"

Father Jace pulled himself up to his full height. "We shall heal him to the best of our abilities and then as soon as he is well enough he shall be advised to leave immediately."

"What should we tell Martin?"

Father Jace paused for a moment, a great sadness overcoming him. "We shall tell him that the stranger has passed away."

Larec nodded, understanding. "It is for the best."

Father Jace slipped back out the door and Larec turned his attentions back to the injured man, muttering under his breath as he worked.

"Why did you come back?" he asked the unconscious man, "what were you hoping for? There's nothing left for you here, Doctor."

The Doctor laid still, even breaths arriving periodically to reassure Larec he was still alive through the battering he endured. Who was this Donna, though? Where were Rose and Jack?

He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind, prioritising his healing duties.


	4. Fried Doctor

Chapter 4 - Fried Doctor

The moment the Doctor became aware, a pain exploded from somewhere in his shoulder and his head. He drew in a short, sharp breath through gritted teeth, easing open his eyes to meet the face of another man leant over him, that faded brown hair, the bright blue eyes, the slightly chubby face that seemed all too familiar…

"Larec?" he almost choked on the word.

"Doctor," Larec said simply. The Doctor looked around in bewilderment at his new surroundings – they'd changed a bit, but he still recognised the room of the Healer.

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked.

"I was about to ask you the same question," he replied. The Doctor winced as he pushed himself up, trying to avoid his left arm.

"Where's Donna?" he began to ask as he looked around the room, but she was nowhere in sight. His head was spinning too much to stay sitting up, so he laid back down quickly before he overbalanced.

"She is fine, she is with Gabrielle," Larec said, gaining the Time Lord's attention once more.

"Sorry," he replied, smiling gently. "I promise you, I never meant to land here. We crashed here, I didn't realise where we were."

"Father Jace has advised you to leave as soon as you feel you are ready," Larec said and the Doctor nodded.

"I will."

Larec's next question was the one that simply had to be asked. "Where's Rose?"

The Doctor's eyes remained constantly on his. "Gone."

Larec's eyes widened. "She's not… dead?"

The Doctor maintained his gaze. "She's safe," he said, but Larec could clearly hear the hint of heartbreak in his tone. He didn't question further.

"We have told Martin you died," Larec changed the subject, "he brought in an unconscious stranger, that was all he knew. I don't think he recognised you under the blood."

"Good," the Doctor muttered, "as it should be."

Larec smiled gently. "I'll leave you to rest," he said, disappearing out the door. The Doctor turned his head sideways once more, trying to regain his sense of balance but instead was startled to find Donna standing in a doorway previously closed, staring accusingly at him.

"You've been here before then?"

"Kinda…" The Doctor looked away from her uncomfortably, searching desperately for a way to change the subject. Her lips pursed, foot tapping. "What happened?" he eventually drew upon, eyes flickering down to the cloth wrapped around his shoulder – he could feel more around his head, too.

"You went and got yourself bloody shot in the shoulder with an arrow then cracked your 'ead open, didn't you?" Donna said rhetorically, "you made me sit 'ere for three hours thinkin' you were gonna die!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Donna, dying is the last thing on my mind when I'm with you, 'cause I know you'll kill me for it."

"Too right, space man! But I'll tell you what's weird…" She paused, staring at him. "Your blood is red!"

He turned towards her, left eyebrow arched, inquisitive. "What exactly were you expecting?"

"I dunno, like purple or green… Or that dull yellow-greenish like in the film _Alien!_"

The Doctor shook his head in amused disbelief, head relaxing against the pillow.

"Where are we anyway?" Donna carried on, moving to the end of his bed. "What year?"

"Roughly 1259 AD, Medieval England," the Doctor replied casually. Donna however, almost exploded.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, eyes wide and staring at him like the cat who'd just got the cream, "we're actually in 1259 AD?! The _real _1259 AD? Where no one took baths and thought God would cure everythin'?" She didn't wait for affirmation. "That's _amazing! _Oh my God! We could go see a joustin' tournament while we're 'ere!"

The Doctor smiled, but the pain was getting worse. He winced, letting his head loll even more as he lightly closed his eyes. Donna thankfully got the hint.

"Are you all right?" she asked sounding anxious, "d'you want anythin'?"

"I believe that's my job," came another familiar voice from across the room, and the Doctor looked up to see a very recognizable face emerging in the doorway, holding a tray of medical bit and bobs.

"Gabrielle," the Doctor muttered, more as a statement than a greeting. She smiled gently at him and moved forward, taking the seat next to his bed and setting the tray down on a near table. "Are you okay?" it wasn't just a question in passing, he seemed genuinely concerned for her health, Donna noticed.

"I'm fine thank you Doctor," Gabrielle replied, maintaining her smile. She reached up to his head, unpeeling the dressings to reveal his bloody gash once more to Donna. The Doctor winced with the pain.

"I'll get out of 'ere if you don't mind," Donna said. "Seen enough of your blood for one day, thanks."

He grinned. "I'll see you later."

"You'd better."

* * *

"Joshua?" Martin asked his son as the boy stared unseeingly at the wall ahead, his plate of food untouched. Joshua didn't seem to hear his father speaking to him.

"Joshua?" his mother asked next, concern evident in her tone. He blinked, suddenly looking back at his parents as he was torn from his daydream.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking back down at his plate of food.

"Are you still thinking about that man?" Martin questioned, and slowly Joshua nodded in reply. "Joshua, there was nothing we could do to save him. Larec did his best but some wounds are just too deep to heal." Joshua nodded again, in silence. For a moment longer he sat staring at his dinner before his eyes moved to his mother, lips pouted, eyes wide.

"I don't feel well mummy, can I go bed?"

His mother and father exchanged a looked, before she nodded and smiled at him. He slid down from the kitchen chair, practically bolting from the room towards his own. He slid into bed, pulling the covers over his head and curling up into a ball, closing his eyes. Hours ticked by as he lay there underneath the warm sheets, unmoving. He heard the door to his room quietly swing open and he scrunched his eyes together tightly, still hidden beneath the covers. After a few moments the door quietly shut again and the footsteps padded away to nothing.

A few more minutes trickled by in the silence of midnight. The murmurs of conversation he'd become used to hearing between his mother and father over the course of the night was gone, only the creatures of the night sounding through the walls of his room.

Slowly and quietly, Joshua slid out of bed and tiptoed across the floor, slipping on his shoes before inching his bedroom door open as carefully as he could. He crossed to the front door, wincing as it creaked loudly before sliding through the tiny gap. He shut the door, breathing a sigh of relief as he turned back around to look around the streets of Olbian.

All was still and silent save for the drizzle that had since started. He broke into a run, picking the shortest route to the church where the Healer's Room was situated. It didn't take him long. The church was always open so he darted inside, checking Father Jace was not still hanging around before heading straight to the Healer's Room. Joshua wondered if they would have already buried the body of the dead stranger.

When he entered, the room was completely dark and silent. He quickly went back to the altar of Mondrith, borrowing a candle and returning to the dark doorway. For a moment Joshua wondered what he was getting himself into, before shrugging and moving forward.

It was warm, the embers of a dying fire across the room. He scanned the room – cupboards, shelves of bottles containing different coloured liquids, dead body, more shelves of books, more c…

Hold on.

Dead body?!

Joshua's breath caught in his throat as he fought to calm himself down. Expecting this, remember? He took a tentative step forward towards the still body, the pale-skinned arm of a person catching in the little light his candle provided.

Dare he venture forward more?

He took another courageous step forward, raising the candle higher to reveal the body was motionless, laid between the sheets. He tentatively raised a hand, prodding at the arm.

Suddenly the arm jerked erratically in an insane reaction to his touch, and Joshua screamed as the person sat straight up, gasping for air. It was _alive!_

Joshua began to stumble back, still screaming as the corpse stared at him in complete surprise. The boy tripped backwards over a bundle of cloth on the floor, dropping the candle but not bothering to pick it up again as he sprinted from the room, almost hitting the door as he went.

The Doctor blinked, still surprised as to what had happened. He'd immersed himself into a healing coma and the boy had somehow ripped him right from it. That was, if it _was_ a boy. It had happened too fast.

His head was spinning from sitting up straight for too long, so he lay back down on the pillows and tried to right his sense of balance once more.

Then he smelt it.

Something was burning.

He turned his head and opened his eyes, only to come face to face with a roaring fire from where the person had tripped. They must've dropped the candle…

The Doctor was panicking. He tried to get out of the bed, head spinning as he was vaguely aware of falling to the floor on his knees. Where was the doorway? His head, oh Rassilon…

The fire was spreading rapidly, and suddenly it became very hot from his left. He opened his eyes fully, forcing them to adjust and locate the doorway but to no avail.

Pain shot through his shoulder with the unexpected movement and he cried out in utter agony, feeling a warm liquid spreading over his shoulder and hand. He'd reopened the wound. He grunted, suddenly aware that the fire with but inches from him. He backed away, leaning up against the bed he'd just got out of and trying to figure out with mathematics the direction of the exit.

Right, he had to go right.

Left arm dangling uselessly he edged towards his right one-handed, hoping and pleading the fire hadn't spread to cover the doorway. He didn't want to die yet.

But it didn't feel as though he was getting any further away from the heat. He was coughing on the smoke, sweating profusely and face scrunched up from the pain of his shoulder wound. He was so tired, he needed to sleep. Sleep cured everything.

No, wait… someone had grabbed his good arm, dragging him across the floor in the direction he'd been intending to go. He forced open his eyes, vision blurry as the roaring of the fire became quieter and suddenly he was cooler – much cooler. There was a figure knelt next to him – the same person who had been in the room. He had been right; it was a young boy, probably about five or six years of age. He was leant over the Doctor, his eyes wide in both awe and fear at the Time Lord. The Doctor gave him a small smile, head still spinning at a million miles per hour. He was about to tell the boy to get help, but Larec was already here.

"Doctor!" he yelled from a distance, footsteps running towards them. "Joshua! Are you both okay?" More footsteps trampled by them, shouts and yells of panicked villagers at the fire. The Doctor blinked back the fog and forced himself to his haunches, hand clutching at his shoulder wound once more.

"Doctor!" came another yell, somehow managing to be louder than the rest of the surroundings combined. Donna Noble. A supporting arm slipped around him, pulling him to his feet as another hand pressed against his bleeding shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Joshua!" another panicked yell came, yet more rushing footsteps headed his way. "Tell me you're okay!" It was close now, the voice so desperate it was heartbreaking. The Doctor recognised that voice…

"Martin?" he gasped, forcing his eyes fully open to take in the appearance of the man now standing before him, holding his son protectively. Donna watched Martin's eyes snapped to the Doctor and stared in utter disbelief.

"Doctor?" he croaked amidst the commotion in the church. "By the Goddess…"

The Doctor gave him a small smile.

"Hello again," he said, and then finally fainted onto Donna. She struggled under his weight but thankfully Martin moved forward, scooping the unconscious Time Lord up in both arms and turning with him immediately, jogging out of the church before Donna could utter a word.

* * *

**A/N: **The fire was not planned. I swear. It just came out from a deep recess in my brain somewhere. I like burning the Doctor. Hehe. Hehehehe. Hehehehehehehehe!

Err, anyway.

Remember, reviews are **LOVE**. I hate posting something I think no one's reading, it's why the Penguin fic never got finished. But that one WAS awful, I'll give you that. But I'm actually pretty into this one so review and I'll love you :D I'll review reply! I promise! Any questions, ask 'em now. NOW!


	5. Birthdays Never Get Boring

**A/N: **Ty for all the reviews! (Feels loved) The last few weeks haven't been exactly _brilliant_ so it was a bit of breath of fresh air, as you might say :D

And for anyone who hasn't read any of my Rose and Jack as companions stories before, I do Ten, Jack and Rose. I have this deluded fantasy that Jack travelled with Ten and Rose at some point... Yes, I love Jack, I love Ten, and I love Rose, so I always have the huge inclination to put them together :D

* * *

Chapter 5 – Birthdays Never Get Boring

_Flashback…_

_When the Doctor, Rose and Jack entered the church, it became apparent they'd arrived in the middle of prayer time. People were kneeling in pews, down the aisle, in front of the statue of Mondrith – anywhere they could find space - with their hands together in prayer._

_Rose and Jack followed as the Doctor quietly advanced down the centre aisle, hands in pockets. Many of the worshippers turned to look at them, and they instantly recognised one of them. It was Martin. He got to his feet, bowing courteously to each of them in turn._

"I thank you again," he said lowly for the benefit of the other worshippers. "My wife Elizabeth is currently resting well."  


"_Good to hear," the Doctor replied with an accompanying smile.  
_

"_May I ask, judging by your clothes and your way of speaking you're not from our surrounding lands?"  
_

_The Doctor shook his head. "Nah, we've come a long way from where we set of. Just looking for adventure, that's us."  
_

_Martin chuckled gently. "Well, I'm not so sure you'll find anything here. We are peaceful community." He paused before adding, "Generally. Now and again we have our comeuppance for our sins. The plague has been our latest punishment."  
_

"_Plague?" Jack echoed. "What plague?"  
_

"_The plague travellers like you brought to our village!" another voice suddenly joined the conversation.  
_

_They all looked up to find a crippled old man, a cataract in one eye and a facial expression that children would scream and run away from. He was standing next to the statue of Mondrith, seemingly uncaring that all the worshippers were now staring at him, or that prayers had come to a standstill. The bags under his eyes were dark, his skin pale and the greying hair about his shoulders was thin, greasy and falling out. He was wearing clothing that may at one point in time have been half respectable, but now they were torn and dishevelled. He had a walking stick in his right hand, helping him through a limp.  
_

"_Matthew, please," Martin said, an apologetic expression flitting over to the Doctor, Rose and Jack. "They are my friends. Please, respect them. They have done me a great favour."  
_

"_No good'll come of them," Matthew snarled. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Martin." He turned and hobbled away.  
_

_Martin looked back at the three travellers, reinforcing his apologetic smile. "I'm sorry," he said. "That was Matthew Malum. He's been bitter since the death of his wife."  
_

"_The plague?" the Doctor asked.  
_

_Martin nodded. "There has been no signs of it for a few weeks now. We pray that it is over."  
_

_The Doctor nodded, reaching out to shake Martin's hand. "Well, better let you get on with it. We'll be off, then. Thanks, sorry to interrupt you."  
_

"_Thank you, Doctor, Rose, Jack. Farewell."  
_

_Rose smiled and Jack waved as Martin turned back, and the Doctor led his companions back out into the sunlight.  
_

"_Get anythin'?" Rose asked, and he nodded.  
_

"_The closer we got to the end of the church the more crazy it got," the Doctor explained as they crossed back over to the deserted area, once again getting out his gadget. "Vibrating like mad."  
_

_Jack's grin suddenly broadened, about to say something but Rose cut over him.  
_

"_So definitely alien then?"  
"Without a doubt," the Doctor confirmed. "Can't tell anything until we get closer, we'll have to wait until nightfall and get back into the church, check that statue for any alien…" he suddenly trailed off in mid flow, brow furrowed as he stood rigid, eyes staring at the wall ahead of them. "…Can either of you hear that?"  
_

_For a moment, the three stood in complete silence.  
_

"…_Hear what?" Jack finally broke the stillness, exchanging a look with Rose, who just shrugged.  
_

"_Like… yelling… bloodthirsty. Battle cries…"  
He looked past them, towards the horizon. Jack and Rose's eyes followed.  
_

"_Oh, that's not good," the Doctor muttered.  
_

"_What is it?" Rose asked, confused.  
_

_The Doctor paused for a moment, just watching the horizon. "Y'see," he began, pointing at the cluster of trees beyond the village gates. "There's a giant mass of angry-looking bandits brandishing swords and crossbows… and they're heading straight towards the village."_

* * *

"Why did you not tell me it was the Doctor?!" Martin was yelling, positively infuriated. "If not for them this village would be a charred stain on the ground! I would never have my Joshua, Gabrielle would be dead…"

"Martin, please," Larec said calmly. "Father Jace and I thought it was best for you to not know that he had returned…"

"He is one of the heroes of our village!!!"

Joshua whimpered against Donna's leg, clutching the fabric of her trousers tightly in both hands. Donna dropped to the boy, hugging him tightly to reassure him. She knew she really should take him out of the room but the temptation of listening to Martin and Larec's conversation, or rather argument, was too great. They were talking as if the Doctor had been here before. Some of them were not happy that he had come back, and this man welcomed him. Just what, exactly, had happened the last time the Doctor had come here?

But the maternal instincts were too strong as Joshua buried his head into her shoulder. She stood up and took his hand, leading the boy out of the room and into Martin and Elizabeth's bedroom, where the Doctor was laid between the sheets, sleeping. She could now only hear the indistinguishable muffles of the heated conversation through the thin wall.

"Are they still going at it?" the Doctor's voice suddenly said.

Donna and Joshua were both startled. She sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Thought you were asleep," Donna said as the Doctor's eyes opened, flickering over to her.

"I was for a bit," the Doctor replied simply, holding his head and gingerly sitting up in the bed. The dizziness he'd since come to expect was now starting to recede. His eyes rested next on Joshua, who was sitting on the bed by the Doctor's feet, staring at him.

"Something on my face?" the Doctor joked, smiling reassuringly at the boy. The boy instantly looked away, hiding his eyes. "What's your name again? Sorry, bit rushed last time, forgotten."

"Joshua," the child said quietly.

Donna watched carefully as the Doctor seemed to freeze, his eyes widening in apparent surprise. After a moment the look faded, and he was once again smiling.

"Martin's boy?" he asked. Joshua nodded meekly. "Yeah, I remember. I was there at your birth." He thought on this for a moment. "Five years ago, must be almost to the day. When's your birthday?"

"Two days ago," Joshua answered, looking up at the Doctor.

"Late happy birthday!" the Doctor said with a grin.

Joshua seemed to brighten up somewhat, warming to this new man. "When's your birthday?" he wanted to know.

The Doctor pondered for a long moment, thinking hard. "Y'know," he finally said, looking back down at the boy, "I have absolutely no idea."

"You don't have a birthday?" Joshua surmised, disbelief and disappointment etched on his face. "But everyone's got a birthday."

"Well, I do, but I've had so many it got a bit boring."

Joshua seemed aghast at this comment. "But birthdays never get boring!"

"Of course not," the Doctor said, beaming.

"What's your name?" Joshua wondered next, bouncing up and down excitedly on the covers.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor replied and Joshua giggled loudly, hand over mouth. The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's funny," Joshua replied, still smiling.

The Doctor looked at Donna, lips pouted. "Is it funny?"

Donna nodded fervently. "Hysterical!" she decided, not really taking in what it was that the boy found so funny, except that she often found the Doctor to be an endless source of amusement - when he wasn't being all Martian.

"Joshua, it's time for your lunch," a voice suddenly said from the doorway and the three turned to see Martin standing in the doorway, looking at Joshua. Joshua was a blur of speed, gone in a second without even saying goodbye.

"Good to see you awake again, Doctor," Martin said with a smile, taking a seat on the bed by the Doctor's feet. "You and I certainly have a lot to discuss."

The Doctor nodded, turning to Donna. "You wouldn't mind going to help Elizabeth and Joshua eat their lunch, would you?"

Donna arched an eyebrow. This was one of those Martian moments. "Quite happy where I am, thank you," she stated, folding her arms.

The Doctor shot her a look that she certainly hadn't expected – it was a look of despair. He was pleading with her. "Please, Donna."

She sighed loudly. "Oh all right then," she said as she moved out of the door. "And only 'cause you asked nicely."

* * *

It was at least an hour before the door to the bedroom opened again and Martin emerged from within. He looked saddened, but Elizabeth had seemed to be expecting it. She comforted Martin as best she could, and Donna quickly moved into the room to check on the Doctor.

He had been crying.

It was such a strange sight for Donna to see the Doctor crying – he'd always been the strong one, never giving into his emotions no matter the amount of death and destruction was happening around them. Well, actually, some amount, but rarely openly, and never in front of others. Predictably, the moment he saw Donna he instantly looked away, trying to cover his face with his arms in shame.

She sighed, loudly. "You don't have to hide, y'know," she stated, standing over his bed with her arms folded. "It's all right to cry. There's no shame in it." She laughed cynically. "I mean, look at me, I break down every five minutes when I'm with you."

He turned his head to look at her, managing to muster a small smile with tear trails running down his face.

"Yeah," he croaked before falling silent.

Donna sighed again, pulling him into a friendly hug. After a moment they parted, and she pushed him back down to relax. There were questions in her eyes, and in his there rested the belief that he wasn't ready to answer them, not yet.

"Get some sleep, you look like hell," she stated bluntly and he laughed a little.

"Thanks, Donna," she heard him say as she shut the door behind her.


	6. Gods Or Demons?

Chapter 6 – Gods Or Demons?

_Flashback…_

_ The Doctor was off like a speeding bullet before Jack and Rose even had the chance to take in what he had said. The Time Lord skipped over the various rocks and sticks until he arrived at the village gate, one man against an oncoming army. He raised a single hand to them now twenty metres away and to Jack and Rose's complete and utter surprise, the entire cluster of bandits – forty or fifty – stopped dead in their tracks._

_ "This village has nothing for you to raid," he stated clearly and simply. "We have been hit by a plague; we have nothing of worth."_

_ One of the bandits stepped forward, seemingly the leader. It was a large man with an old scar scored down his left cheek stretching from eye to mouth. He was filthy and completely bald, face unshaven for a few days and a bloodstained sword gripped tightly in his right hand. The clothes he wore were rags that clung desperately to his large, fat frame._

_ "Is tha' so?"_

_ Jack and Rose had arrived next to the Doctor now, a few villagers from the temple – Martin, Matthew, a mother and two children – watching from a distance at the confrontation._

_ "Yes."_

_ "Then we jus' take yer blood." The bandits raised his crossbow to the Doctor's chest, and fired off a single bolt._

_ "Doctor!" Rose screamed desperately but Jack was already one step ahead. He moved in front of the Doctor with his hands on the Time Lord's shoulders, facing him, and they all heard the resounding crack as the bolt directly impacted the Captain's spine._

_ Still holding the Doctor's shoulders and staring into his eyes, Jack silently sank to the floor._

_ Seconds passed._

_ "RUN!" the Doctor yelled, grabbing Rose's hand and pulling her away from the village entrance._

_ "ATTACK!" the bandit leader roared and within seconds the air was filled with shouts and screams, and Olbian was under attack._

_

* * *

  
_

_"Is it over?" Rose suddenly croaked, breaking the forty-minute silence between her and the Doctor since the raid had started. The Doctor's arms finally slackened their protective grip on her slightly as she raised her head from his chest. They were sat in an indent in a wall down a narrow alleyway, hidden from view of the bandits. They had been able to do nothing else in the raid but hide, and for that the Doctor hated himself. He felt so helpless. He had tried to get out to help in the raid but Rose had held him firmly back, forcing him to stay put._

_ "Stay here," he instructed, manoeuvring around Rose to slip out into the alley, moving slowly and carefully to peek around the corner._

_ Silent seconds passed, before the Doctor simply raised a hand and beckoned Rose without even turning his head. She moved forward and peeked around the corner._

_ She froze._

There were bodies scattered all over the ground – men, women and children – covered in blood, all still and silent.

_ The Doctor was already moving. He ran across the open, dropping down next to the lacerated body of a teenage boy probably no more than seventeen years old, resting his fingers on the young man's neck. Seconds trickled by. Finally the Doctor drew back, shaking his head as Rose stood silently next to him, tears falling down her face once more. The Doctor drew down the boy's eyelids, pausing for a moment to take this in before moving to another body laid next to the boy, this time a very young girl, barely three years gone by since she'd been brought into his world. He rested her fingers on her neck, almost dreading what he would find._

_ Rose watched as suddenly a smile broadened on his face._

_ "She's alive," he breathed, taking out the sonic and already checking her wounds for severity. "Mild head wound to the right side, minor contusions to the face, minor lacerations to the arms and a transverse fracture to the left ulna, she's gonna be fine." He slipped the sonic back into his pocket, slipping his arms beneath the girl and lifted her up, before turning to Rose. "Rose, check for anyone who's alive." She nodded. "I'll get help."_

_

* * *

  
_

_Father Jace watched as the strangers – the Doctor and Rose – worked together like a well-oiled machine. They were both somehow in each other's minds, reading the others thoughts of tasks that needed to be done and had since been completed. Within twenty minutes all of those injured in the attack were settled in the church, their wounds being tended to by Larec, the Doctor and Rose._

_ Jack's dead body had since been fetched, but had been left on the floor in front of the altar. The Doctor and Rose had not so much as given him a glance, and Father Jace had assumed that they simply did not want to be put off their stride by the reality of their dead friend._

_ An hour had passed before the Doctor finally straightened to full height, looking down at the woman he'd just been treating for a stab wound to the abdomen. He wasn't a miracle worker… at least, not with the technology offered in this day and age. Some of them would not make it through the night, and he hated himself once more for just sitting by and watching it happen._

_ "Doctor," came Rose's voice from behind the Time Lord, and he turned to meet her gaze. "They found another body…"_

_ The Doctor nodded, racing past her and to the new limp body villagers were carrying in. The Doctor's heart plummeted when he saw it was a small boy, crying silently through desperate gasps for air._

_ He gestured for the body to be lain in a spare space to the side, kneeling down next to the sobbing child and checking his injuries. As Rose knelt next to him he turned to look at her, his face drawn and solemn._

_ "How can I do this?" the Doctor suddenly demanded in an undertone to her, more angry at himself than Rose. "How can I just stand by and let these people die, knowing I can save them?"_

_ Rose remained silent, gaze dropping to the floor._

_ "A ten-year-old boy," the Doctor whispered, looking to the body in front of him, blooded and broken, yet still somehow conscious. "Born into this new, fascinating, beautiful Universe and only just starting to fully comprehend his surroundings. Three of his ribs are broken from a blow to the side and he's punctured a lung. He's going to die. He's going to die and I'm just standing here letting it happen."_

_ Rose's face saddened at the sight of her usually strong Time Lord beginning to break. She was still getting used to this version of him - her old Doctor, although sympathetic with people's situations, never got quite so attached to those involved. _

_ "If this was your era, the 21st century, he would easily be able to survive," the Doctor continued. "A child living in this era has just as much right to live as one in the 21st, it's just they don't have enough knowledge yet..." his voice was getting faster, becoming high-pitched as he became more and more frantic. "I could save him, Rose, I could save him, I CAN save him, I WANT to save him…" He trailed off, determination spreading onto his face as his hand suddenly delved inside his jacket pocket and he brought out the sonic screwdriver. Watchers from around them suddenly gasped in alarm as the Doctor pressed the button, a bright blue light emitting from the end with a high-pitched buzzing noise to accompany._

_ "It is a stick of magic!" one declared as the others began to step back from them, fear mounting in their eyes. The Doctor seemed to ignore them, adjusting the setting before pressing the sonic to the boy's chest. He then handed the sonic screwdriver to Rose, placing his fingers to the boy's temples and closing his eyes. Seconds later the boy's eyes slipped closed, the crying fading away to nothing as he fell deeply asleep. The Doctor began to work, drawing items out of his coat – needles, scalpels, wipes, tubes – as his hands sailed over the child's body, two hands completely at ease with field surgery._

_ Rose could feel gathering crowds around them, watching as the Doctor worked his strange, unknown magic with his blue fire stick. Even to Rose his hands were a blur of speed, making an incision in the side of the boy's chest before inserting the tube inside the cut. He ran the sonic over the boy again, giving a small smile as he drew it away again. All the time the crowd were watching him with unease, some crying in fear yet no one made a move to confront him. Within minutes he was bandaging the boy up, making sure he was warm and comfortable before standing up, putting the sonic screwdriver back inside his jacket pocket. He finally looked up at the crowd, beaming._

_ Silent seconds passed._

_ Suddenly there was a huge gasping sound from the altar – Jack had finally woken up, and he couldn't have timed it worse. He sat up straight, eyes wide as if in shock, one hand clutching onto the altar whilst the other was placed over his heart Rose ran towards him, guiding him to sit up against the altar._

_ "They are sorcerers!" one suddenly yelled, pointing directly at the Doctor. The Doctor recognised him. That was Matthew Malum, the old man who had first confronted them in the church. "They have cursed our village with their dark magicks! For Mondrith, they must be executed!"_

_ And within seconds, the entire group was heading towards the Doctor._

_ "Stop!" another voice yelled – it was Father Jace. He strolled towards them, fury in his eyes. "This is not our way! We do not execute here!"_

_ "They have brought the plague on us!" Matthew hissed. "They have brought this raid upon us! Our daughters, sons, wives and husbands… they have slain them all!"_

_ "There is no proof of that, Matthew!" Father Jace bellowed, but everyone was against him._

_ "We have all the proof we need!" Matthew shouted back. "In the name of Mondrith!"_

Rose and Jack could only watch as the Doctor was overwhelming in a mass of punches and kicks.

_ "DOCTOR!" Rose screamed, jumping back up onto her feet and running down the steps, frantically trying to reach him with Jack hot on her tail. She felt a hand on her shoulder, Father Jace's, and it stopped her dead in her tracks, Jack too. She looked up to him as he threw back his head, letting out a bellow._

_ "STOP!" _

_ All movement instantly ceased, but the Doctor was still hidden by the crowd._

_ "I pray you! This is sacred ground, and I will NOT let this act of wickedness continue! This is a place of healing wounds, not inducing them, and I believe this is what the Doctor was simply trying to do – heal wounds!"_

_ "But you saw his magicks! He is a sorcerer!" Matthew was yelling back._

_ "I beseech you, this man rose from the dead like the teachings of the churches in the outside lands!" he gestured to Jack. "They are not sorcerers – they are Gods!"_

_ The crowd panicked for a moment, utterly relying on Father Jace for what action to take. They all sprang away after a few moments of hesitation, eyes wide, leaving only Matthew. Rage was etched on his face, angry that the chance had been passed up. The Doctor was holding his stomach in pain, a trickle of blood dripping from his nose but that was as far as they'd managed to get. _

_ Rose tried to move again, but Father Jace tightened his hold ever so slightly on her shoulder._

_ "You sympathetic old fool…" Matthew grated. "It will be the death of you!"_

_ And with that he exited the church, the rhythmic clicking of the walking stick hitting the floor ringing out before he disappeared from view. Only then did Father Jace let go of Rose and she ran to the Doctor, hands around him to give support he didn't really need._

_ "Welcome back, Jack," the Doctor finally said, looking at the Captain as he advanced. "You took your time."_

_ Jack grinned. "You should get cleaned up," he said, nodding towards his bleeding nose. The Doctor shook his head._

_ "I'm not done." He looked around pointedly, tentatively dabbing at his nose with a cloth offered to him by Rose. "There are plenty here who can survive."_

_ Jack nodded. "First one to save a hundred people gets a prize?" he offered, and the Doctor grinned heartily back before moving over to tend to a patient._

_

* * *

_**A/N: **Forewarning of possibility of a bit of TenRose in this... Haven't decided yet...


	7. The Cunning Persuasion of Captain Jack

**A/N: **Haha, how much did The Next Doctor rawk? James Bond x5!

This is for Leticia... with an accent :D

Again with the plot building thing. (Shakes fist) Hate it... it's so dull!

* * *

Chapter 7 – The Cunning Persuasion of Captain Jack

Over the next week, the Doctor slowly began to get better.

The entire village seemed to perceive him as some kind of God anyway, Donna had observed. They left items at the doorstep of Martin's house – food, gifts – as 'offerings' to help him. He of course politely rejected them, giving them to Father Larec to dispense to the poorer families amongst the community. Martin and Elizabeth had given him round the clock care, even little Joshua entertaining him in the long, dull hours of the afternoon.

Not another word had been said about the Doctor's previous visit, and Donna's curiosity was understandably peaked. So many questions… but he still wasn't ready to answer them. Oh well, she'd get it out of him eventually. Donna Noble _always _did.

One night, Donna walked into the bedroom to find the Doctor had disappeared, the bed sheets scattered with Larec's remedies left abandoned on the side. She huffed a sigh, more angry than worried as she turned and exited the house, smiling to Elizabeth on the way.

She eventually found him in a grass field adjacent to the house, lying on his back with his good arm behind his head, staring at the night sky. Joshua was beside him mimicking his pose, giggling periodically at things the Doctor was saying. Donna smiled, moving forward towards them quietly, their conversation gradually getting more decipherable.

"It's complicated…" the Doctor's voice came.

"But how?" Joshua was asking.

"_Very _complicated."

_"How?" _Joshua demanded to know.

The Doctor sighed, turning over to look at the boy and propped up on his good arm, with his bad arm in a sling across his chest.

"At the centre of your planet, Earth, there's a…"

"Your," Joshua repeated.

The Doctor looked surprised. "What?"

"You said your," Joshua stated, "your planet."

"So?"

"Like it s'not _your _planet," Joshua said, eyes wide.

The Doctor considered him for a moment. "And if it isn't?"

Joshua's grin said it all. He turned back to the star-ridden sky and looked pointedly at the stars above. "Which one's yours?"

The Doctor smiled, turning back over onto his back. "Y'know what Joshua? This could be the start of beautiful friendship."

Joshua giggled again as Donna moved forward, dropping to sit down next to their heads.

"Havin' fun?" she asked, and both boys were instantly startled by the sound of her voice.

"The Doctor was telling me 'bout the lights in the sky 'n stuff," Joshua said. "We're made of dust from the lights, Donna!"

"Really?" Donna asked, feigning surprise. "Blimey!"

The Doctor was grinning again. "Anyway, it's getting late, you should get to bed."

Joshua pulled a face. "Don't sleep anyway."

"C'mon, else your father'll be getting worried," the Doctor said, pushing himself to his feet and taking Joshua's hand, pulling the reluctant boy upright. "And trust me, you don't wanna be in the same room when he gets mad."

Joshua giggled. "He never gotted mad with me."

"Good," the Doctor said with a genuine smile.

* * *

_Flashback…_

_For the next few weeks the Doctor, Jack and Rose played their parts in the treatment of the wounded and the rebuilding of the village. The fires had since died, but the villagers refused to let their spirit die with them and soon everyone was helping in the efforts, turning to the Doctor, Rose and Jack for guidance._

_ With the effort of the villagers houses were rebuilt in hours, even better than they had been before. The work only stopped for Father Jace's sermon on Sunday, who was seemingly unperturbed by the number of injured people still in his church._

_ No one had yet died, due to the three travellers' efforts; they had not relented in their hard work and politely refused any gifts of gratitude offered by the villagers. They truly were Gods._

_ Two weeks after the raid, repair work was finally finished. The village had been completely rebuilt, and all the while Matthew Malum looked on, disgust awash on his face. The Doctor watched him for a moment, frowning, before Martin noticed._

_ "He has not said a word since the incident in the church," Martin murmured lowly to him. "It's very sad. He has been so deeply affected."_

_ "By what?" the Doctor asked, Rose joining the conversation as she slipped her arm through his. "The plague?"_

_ "Yes." Martin nodded. "It took his wife and two young children, but somehow he did not die himself. It destroyed him, he has not been himself since."_

_ The Doctor nodded, watching Matthew as he sneered one last time at the new buildings and turned, limping away. He swivelled his head to look at Martin, smiling fully. _

_ "How's Elizabeth?"_

_ Martin returned the smile. "She is fine, physically recovered. But the trauma has affected her mind badly."_

_ "And what about you?"_

_ Martin sighed to himself. "I am a toy maker, Doctor. All the children of the village are like sons and daughters to me."_

_ "A toy maker without his own child to make toys for," Rose reiterated._

_ "Mondrith's intention," Martin replied simply. "Thank you for a kind ear, Doctor, Rose. I must finished my work before the gathering tonight."_

_ "Gathering?" the Doctor echoed to Rose as Martin disappeared around the corner._

_ "There's a party tonight!" Rose grinned up at him. "For rebuilding the village."_

_ He beamed. "Aww, brilliant! A party in the Middle Ages!"_

_

* * *

  
_

_The music from the fiddles and makeshift instruments was definitely to be expected of the times._

_ In the evening air people were dancing and singing, seemingly not caring for their dignity as ale sloshed about in tankards from their hands, the substance spilling both on themselves, other people and the ground. On a nearby wooden table Rose, Jack and the Doctor were sat, Jack happily swigging from another tankard overflowing with ale._

_ "Sure you don't want one, Doc?" he was saying with a charismatic smile._

_ "Human drinks are pathetic," the Doctor was saying, nose in the air. "They're weak and taste awful."_

_ "You're scared, arentcha?" Jack challenged, taking another swig. "The Doctor's scared! The Doctor's scaaaared!"_

_ "I am not!" the Doctor insisted, arms folded in indignation. Jack merely raised an eyebrow, turning to direct his pearly-white smile at Rose._

_ "Well Rose, since we've discovered your Time Lord is a lightweight wimp…" He gave her a cheeky wink. "I'm single… and I work out."_

_ Rose couldn't help it, despite knowing how worked up the Doctor would get. "Oh that's manly!"_

_ The Doctor was seething._

_ Jack persisted with his inane, winsome grin. "I can also handle my drink."_

_ "Fine!" the Doctor suddenly burst out in an explosion of agitation. "I'll drink your puny human water!"_

_ Jack's grin spread impossibly further across his face as he poured out a pint and pushed it towards the Doctor._

_ "Drink up!"_

_

* * *

  
_

"Thanks for everything," the Doctor was saying as he firmly shook Larec's hand with his heartily, before repeating this action with Father Jace. After a week Donna had (reluctantly) agreed to move swiftly on in their travels. "You both keep up the good holy work, won't you?"

Father Jace broadened a smile. "Of course, Doctor. May Mondrith bless you to heal well."

"Thanks," Donna was next in the queue to shake their hands, beaming widely as the Doctor moved next to Elizabeth and Martin, a huge smile suddenly breaking onto his face.

"Thank you," the Doctor said in a tone of voice that wasn't just thanking them, it was gratitude beyond measure. They all shook hands with each other politely, more like a formal business meeting rather than a parting of friends.

The Doctor turned next to Joshua, who was standing staring at the floor, hands clutched together in front of him. He didn't speak. The Doctor dropped to his knees, cupping the boy's chin and easing it up so their eyes would meet. They were red rimmed – he'd been crying.

"What's wrong?" Donna said, moving towards him and dropping to her knees too, brushing back his hair affectionately.

Joshua sniffed. "I don't want you to leave! You can't!"

"Joshua…" the Doctor said with a sigh, resting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "We have to move on sometime. We can't stay here forever."

Joshua didn't verbally reply to this – merely stepped forward to wrap his arms around the Time Lord. The Time Lord in question seemed a little surprised, before wrapping his working arm around the child in return and holding him tightly for a moment.

"We'll come back," Donna said as they parted. "Come and see how you're doing, right Doctor?"

The Doctor didn't reply to this, his face expressionless. Instead, Donna saw his eyes flash over to Larec and Father Jace, whose equally as plain expressions didn't give anything away.

"We would most gladly have you back!" Martin suddenly burst out intentionally before the pause became too long.

Elizabeth was also nodding. "There will always be a friend for you here, Doctor."

The Doctor's smile resumed instantly as he got to his feet, gesturing for Donna to do the same. "You've got a friend in me, as the saying goes. I hate good byes. You be good now, won't you Joshy boy?"

The child just stared miserably at the floor. The Doctor quickly turned on his heel and exited the house, Donna quickly following.

"That was a bit heartless," Donna criticised as they began walking.

"I'm not a nanny," he replied simply. Even Donna found herself concurring with his answer. It was true. It wasn't up to him. Anyway, she was sure Joshua would forget by tomorrow and be running around like a lunatic once more. Kids always did at that age.

"So where'd you wanna go next?" the Doctor asked, hands already stuffed into his pockets.

"The Infirmary?" she suggested mildly, nodding to his shoulder wound still bound in reels and reels of bandages. It had not yet healed, but the Doctor had decided it was an appropriate time to leave anyway. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Are you _trying _to be my mother?"

In reply, Donna simply slapped him on his working arm. He winced, deciding to shut up and be quiet.

They made their way back to the TARDIS.

But little did they know Joshua was following.


	8. Stroppy Martian Boy

**A/N: **Whump, anyone? From this point on, it's Whump Central.

* * *

Chapter 8 – Stroppy Martian Boy

Joshua scrambled along the dry forest floor, maintaining a good distance between him and the two walking friends whilst also keeping them in sight. Their conversation so far had been mixed with words he didn't understand… words he'd never even heard before.

"Are you sure?" Donna was asking sceptically. They were talking about their transport or something, Joshua had figured. They kept saying the word, 'Tardis'… Was that the name of their horse?

"Completely and absolutely positive. She's just 'round the corner."

Donna sighed, exasperated at the Time Lord. "You said that ten minutes ago!"

"It's a very long corner!"

Donna sighed again, hands on hips as she came to a stop, hand gripping the Doctor's arm. Joshua instantly stilled, hand braced on a branch with an eye line through a gap in the bushes.

"Doctor, straight yes or no please, do you know where the TARDIS is or not?"

The Doctor halted with her tightened grip and paused for a moment, clicking his tongue with his fingers stroking his chin as he pondered. "…Maybe," he finally said.

Donna slapped his arm again. The Doctor yelped and pulled it away, holding it protectively to his chest.

"So come on, out with it," Donna changed the subject. "What's the deal with you, Jack, Martin, Joshua, Rose, and Elizabeth?"

Joshua's eyes widened and he shifted forward slightly

"Deal?" the Doctor echoed. "There's no deal. They're just grateful."

"For what?"

The Doctor seemed to ignore her question, starting off again. "I think I can sense the TARDIS close…"

Donna grabbed his arm again and yanked him back around to face her, a defiant glare casting itself his way. "Doctor," she said firmly.

He shifted a little in her grip, obviously uncomfortable. "I just helped them out, that's all. It's nothing."

"Well _obviously_ it's _not…"_

The Doctor smoothly cut her flow. "Well _obviously_ it's really _none_ of your _business_, is it?!" he grated in a complete change of demeanour, wrenching his arm away from her and tightening his fists, teeth gritted. Even from the distance Joshua was terrified of him, but Donna seemed unfazed.

"Don't get all stroppy on _me, _Martian Boy!" Donna snapped back.

_Thud._

Donna jumped, startled as the sound of an impact suddenly rang out from behind her, spinning around to stare at the arrow that had embedded itself in the trunk of the tree barely a metre from where she and the Doctor stood. She gasped in surprise, jumping backwards into the Doctor as he instinctively shielded his already damaged shoulder with his other hand.

Joshua was so busy staring at the Doctor and Donna's plight that he failed to notice the sound of light footsteps behind him, cracking on branches and dry leaves. The next thing he knew a pair of arms had grabbed him roughly from behind as he let go a cry of shock and fear. He saw the Doctor's and Donna's heads turn towards him before a hand clamped over his mouth and he was lifted into the air, arms and legs waving about frantically.

"Joshua!" the Doctor shouted, already running towards the boy before Donna even had a chance to register what she was seeing.

"Stay where you are!" a new voice ordered.

The Doctor suddenly found a sword was at his throat. He stopped dead as more of them circled around him, but it was only temporary hesitation as he knocked the sword aside forcefully and started to run once more, focused on one thing and one thing only – Joshua.

Donna was about to run after him when she too felt a pair of arms grab her from behind and hold her forcefully in place. By the time she'd managed to force her head up the Doctor had been grabbed too.

"JOSHUA!" the Doctor screamed, struggling in the grip of his captors desperately as he tried to get free to save the boy. He seemed to be totally oblivious to the knife at his throat. "JOSHUA!!!"

Donna was yelling too, managing to break free for just a moment, but was then caught again by the bandits. They could only watch, helpless as the boy disappeared into the forest. The Doctor was screaming with outrage and despite threats continued to yell.

"Be gone!" bellowed a voice suddenly from across the clear, and Donna whipped her head around to find Martin standing with his sword held high, an expression of pure rage on his face. Behind him were several well-equipped villagers, all with the same, angry expression. The group holding the Doctor panicked, throwing him forcefully into a nearby tree where he gasped with pain, sliding to the floor with one hand on his injured shoulder. The bandits had let go of Donna in an instant, turning and fleeing with their group. As the footsteps faded to nothing, Donna stumbled over the multitude of branches and leaf piles towards the Doctor, as did Martin.

"Doctor!" Donna called as he just breathed, trying to manage the pain. This remained for only a few moments however, as he suddenly jerked up, eyes wide.

"Joshua!" he gasped, his hand still on his shoulder. Donna breathed in deeply, eyes closing for a long moment before opening once more.

"He's gone, Doctor."

Gallifreyan curses came tumbling out of his mouth like a waterfall, scrambling to get to his feet. His teeth were gritted, his breathing heavy with his eyes flitting all around him. Donna had never _seen _him so frantic.

"And you didn't stop them?!" he yelled.

"I _was _a bit occupied at the time!" Donna yelled back, jumping to her full height.

"You could've _stopped _them!!!"

"So could've _you!"_

"Please," Martin suddenly interrupted, not even raising his voice. Both of them instantly stopped, looking to Martin. "It does not matter who is to blame, please, my son is missing…"

He looked ready to breakdown. The Doctor rested both his hands on Martin's shoulders, staring into the other man's eyes. "I'm so sorry Martin, this is _all _my fault, please, forgive me. I _will_ get your son back, I _promise. _He _will_ be unscathed and if anyone has so much as harmed a hair on his head there _will _be consequences. Please forgive me, he was following _me_."

Martin slowly nodded.

The Doctor drew back, hands dropping to his side as his gaze shifted to the floor. "I can't let him die in cold-blooded murder, I _won't _let him."

"I just want him safe."

"I won't let him die."

"I love him so much," Martin croaked, trying desperately not to cry.

"I love him, too," the Doctor replied quietly, and Donna found herself suddenly completely amazed by those four little words, coming from the Doctor. It was possibly the first time she'd heard him say the words 'I love' without being followed by a type of fruit. "We all do."

"I know you will not want me with you, so I will gladly stay back in the village in the confidence you will find Joshua."

The Doctor nodded. "You have my word, Martin."


	9. Duck Dock

**A/N: **Harry Hamster FTW!

* * *

Chapter 9 – Duck Dock

_Flashback…_

_"Ha ha ha!" the Doctor threw back his head and roared with laughter, swaying with the force of the action. Jack's laughter had progressively gotten louder during the course of the night and was now bellowing at the average decibel level of a Concorde._

_ "Duck dock," Jack said, and then frowned as he listened to his own words. "Dock dunk," he tried again, and failed. "Drock donk. Donk dronk."_

_ "Drunk Doc," Rose quietly corrected for him and he nodded enthusiastically, maybe a little too enthusiastically as he almost fell backwards off his chair. The Doctor took another hearty sip of ale, licking his lips and pushing himself up in the chair towards Jack._

_ "I'm not dunk!" he declared, and Rose giggled loudly at him as Jack snorted._

_ "Old man can't 'old 'is liq…liq…ale!" Jack was worse than the Doctor, waving his ale around in the air and consequently spilling it mostly on himself._

_ "Dunt call me old man Jack Harky, zat's meeeean."_

_ But Jack wasn't paying attention to him anymore. He had spied something far more promising over the fence._

_ "Well hi dere pretty lady, can I buy ya a drink?" he said loudly, pulling himself out of the chair and staggering over to the fence._

_ "Baaa," the sheep replied, leaning down to chew on some more grass._

_ "Oh c'moooon, I wouldn't wanta pretty lady like yoo goin' 'ome with a dry throat now would I?"_

_ "Baaa," the sheep answered._

_ Rose burst into laughter as the Doctor looked up at the fence, frowning._

_ "Why's zat girl Jack's talkin' to wearin' a sheep coshtume?"_

_ "You know what? I really don't know. I think Jack's been hangin' in Wales too long."_

_ "You're more pretty than any girl," the Doctor suddenly said, sliding a little more down in his chair. Rose promptly held him up as best she could, not wanting him to fall and whack his head and cause a medical emergency at this time in the morning. "You're der prettiesth girl I knowsh."_

_ "Why thank you, Doctor." She smiled gently as him, pushing back some of his hair from his face. "You're a pretty boy too."_

_ "Really?" he asked timidly. "I'm pretty?"_

_ "Prettiest boy I know."_

_ "Awww Roesh you're sho cute," he said with a smile, giving her a gigantic hug. Within moments she heard the gentle sound of snoring coming from over her right shoulder and she giggled, realising the Doctor had fallen asleep on her. Rose was very adept in catching and dealing with drunk friends, so she quickly pulled him back from her and raised her hand, lightly slapping his cheeks a few times as he hung like a rag doll in her grip. Within seconds his eyes flickered back open and caught sight of her, before a huge grin spread onto his face._

_ "Roesh!" he said, as though he was seeing her for the first time in weeks._

_ "Doctor!" she yelled back just as enthusiastically, getting to her feet whilst retaining her hold on him. "Can you stand?"_

_ He sniffed, attempting to fold his arms and only succeeding on the third try. "'Courshe I can."_

_ Gently, Rose eased her grip on him and he seemed capable enough of standing by himself. However, five seconds after she'd released him he slipped silently to the floor, giggling._

_ "I fell over," he stated up at her, sniggering away like it was the happiest occurrence of his life. Rose rolled her eyes and slipped her arms beneath him, pulling him onto both feet. She quickly looked around for Jack – only to find him by the band, looking ready to belt out a number. Sure enough, seconds later the band started up in an unmistakable rendition of 'Hot Stuff' by Donna Summers and Jack was singing away merrily. She rolled her eyes, deciding to leave him be as she dragged the deadweight Doctor towards the hut they now called their temporary home._

_

* * *

  
_

"Can you see him?" the Doctor urged Donna as they peered over the knoll between them and the bandit camp. Donna peered towards the encampment – bandits were roaming back and forth – some snoring in a drunken snooze, some fighting each other – a few bedraggled shelters assembled around the camp seemingly without regard for their position. But she could see no sign of the child.

"Probably in a tent."

"No…" the Doctor muttered as his eyes strolled over to further across the encampment, where a cage sat containing a boy. Joshua. The Doctor pointed to the cage. "He's in there."

Donna turned her head to look at him – his face was hard and unforgiving, jaw set in a truly determined expression.

"If they've hurt him…" he grated, fists visibly tightening. Donna squinted at the cage, trying to focus.

"So we charge in and grab him, right?"

The Doctor shook his head. "If we go in now they'd be on us within seconds. We're not going to be able to do much dead or captured with him."

"What do we do, then?" Donna asked anxiously, worried desperately for the boy. He gazed at her for a long moment.

"We wait."

_

* * *

  
_

_Flashback…_

_"Y'know I would offer you a coffee but they haven't discovered it yet."_

_ The Doctor nursed his painfully throbbing head as he lifted it from resting on his arms and looked up at Rose with heavy eyes._

_ "If Jack offers me a drink… Never, ever, ever again…" he groaned, before collapsing back onto the table. _

_ Rose couldn't help but grin. Her indestructible alien Time Lord, with a hangover. _

_ "Where _is_ Jack?" the Doctor asked._

_ "No idea. I was too busy tryin' to stop you from takin' off your clothes."_

_ "Thanks," he grunted, muffled by his arms._

_ Coincidentally seconds later, the door opened and Jack staggered in, hand against his head. He stumbled over to the table and dropped into a seat, his pose slouched and staring at the floor._

_ "Don't ask where I just woke up," he said simply._

_ "Jack, when I invited you on board the TARDIS, did I say, 'I can show you the infinite possibilities of time and space, and we can get completely pissed whilst doing it'?"_

_ "Somethin' like that," Jack murmured tiredly._

_ Then came a familiar high-pitched beeping sound, and within seconds both men clamped their hands over their ears, groaning._

_ "Rose… Make it stop…" the Doctor begged her. She smiled, listening to locate the sound's origins before moving over to the end of the Doctor's bed where his coat was slung. She delved into the pocket, first bringing out a lolly, then a banana, then wine gums, a teddy bear, a bicycle pump, a beach towel, a banjo, a bag of hamster food and a living hamster before she finally found the thing she was looking for – the device the Doctor had used to locate the alien presence but a few weeks ago. She stared at it for a few moments, before realising she had absolutely no idea how to turn it off._

_ "Doctor." She prodded his shoulder. "How do I turn it off?"_

_ He groaned again and reached out blindly for it, fumbling for a moment before it finally fell silent. There was a long pause._

_ "What was that about?"_

_ "I set it to scan the surrounding area for alien tech yesterday, it must've picked up something."_

_ "Finally! You've learnt the ways of scannin' for alien tech!" Rose exclaimed, beaming. He grunted. "And another thing – you have a hamster in your coat pocket."_

_ "I know," he replied. "He's called Harry."_

_

* * *

  
_

"Doctor." Donna nudged him after an hour of silence, the Time Lord instantly sitting up and turning around to look over at the bandit camp. They were starting to gather, two of them moving to the cage Joshua was in and unlocking it, grabbing the boy roughly and pulling him across the dirt to stand in front of – what they could only presume to be – the leader. Donna felt the Doctor tense again at their rough handling of the child.

The apparent leader then appeared into view - it was a large man with an old scar scored down his left cheek stretching from eye to mouth. He was filthy and completely bald, face unshaven for a few days and the clothes he wore were rags that clung desperately to his large, fat frame. He walked towards Joshua, his voice indecipherable to Donna but the Doctor could hear every word perfectly, and slowly his jaw tightened.

"They're mocking him," he grated, "telling him they've killed his parents and now he's a slave." The Doctor was visibly shaking and it was alarming to Donna, to say the least. They watched in trepidation as the leader moved forwards slowly towards the child, swung back a foot, and kicked him in the stomach.

The Doctor went berserk.

His scream was deafening. Pure rage and contempt poured out of his mouth as Donna blinked, and the Doctor was already standing in the encampment, sword at the leader's throat. It seemed as though he'd moved a distance of twenty metres in less than a second.

"Don't _touch _him," the Doctor hissed, fires of fury burning in his eyes. The leader's smile seemed to promptly fall off his face.

"Doctor!" Donna cried out from somewhere behind him, but he couldn't hear her. His eyes were fixed on the leader's, unmoving.

"Give me the child," the Doctor said softly.

The leader seemed to get a grip on himself, his previously horrified face morphing into one of an unpleasant smile. "And wha' do we geh in return?"

"You get to live."

The bandit leader burst out laughing; a low, menacing laugh. "Go on den," he challenged the Time Lord. "Show meh how yer gonna kill meh."

"Don't tempt me," the Doctor warned.

Suddenly Donna screamed from somewhere behind him and the Doctor turned to see two of the bandits grabbing her from behind, restraining the woman before he realised he'd taken his eyes off of the leader. There came a sharp pain from the side of his head and the next thing he knew he was on the floor, pinned down and helpless in the grip of the bandits with his head throbbing madly.

"I know 'im!" a voice burst out from above him, one of the men holding him down. "This is the Doctor!"

"Really? So it is…" the leader's voice came in a terrifying mix of intrigue, anger and delight. "We're gonna 'ave some fun tonight…"

"Just let them go!" the Doctor demanded, turning his head to Joshua and Donna. Joshua's eyes were wide, staring at the Doctor in awe whilst Donna glared at him.

The bandit leader was laughing that boisterous, deafening laugh. "Sure," he began casually, "I'll let them go… Into the cage! Hahaha!" The other bandits started to laugh around him.

Donna groaned, loudly. "Don't quit your day job, mate."

The leader didn't hesitate to stroll over to the Doctor and place his heavy boot directly on the Time Lord's neck. Donna instantly shut up, for she knew if he pressed then the Doctor's neck would break like a twig. The bandit pressed down ever so slightly – enough to issue choked-sounding breathing from the Doctor, eerie in the silence that surrounded them. He raised a hand and pointed at Donna, laughing again with his followers before lifting his foot and the Doctor visibly relaxed.

"Throw dem in der cage," he ordered, turning away from them and striding towards a tent. "While we decide what ter do wid dem."


	10. The Plague

**A/N: **Sorry it's taken so long, normally I update pretty quickly but I hate school and school hates me and I think I'm going insane.

* * *

Chapter 10 – The Plague

_Flashback…_

_"Wow!" Jack exclaimed, rummaging around in the casket. "There's some pretty nice stuff here! Is that an atmospheric defragmenter?"_

_ "I dunno!" the Doctor replied with a sniff, looking over the thin white metal tube between his fingers with interest. They had followed the alien trace picked up by the scanner to a secluded area less than sixty metres from the village, only to find a crash alien vessel half in the dirt, hidden by a curtain of trees. Rose was stood next to the vessel and her boys, arms folded, breathing a sigh._

_ "Are you done yet?"_

_ The Doctor turned his head to look at her, aghast. "Rose! You have no appreciation for the beautiful simplicity of Aroarian technology!"_

_ "You bet I don't," Rose agreed, kneeling down next to him and taking the white tube he held out of his grip, looking over it. Opposite her Jack was still admiring the atmospheric defragmenter, a cubed silver device in his hand the size of a die. "So this means there's aliens runnin' round for definite, right?"_

_ The Doctor pursed his lips in the strain of thought, picking up a black sphere and staring at it intently. "Not necessarily." He finally answered. "If you crashed your ship on an alien world wouldn't you think to hide it before you went exploring? The only thing missing, as far as I can see, is the medical pack. Every Aroarian ship has one. So logically we can say the occupant of this vessel crashed, was injured, was possibly threatened by something enough for them to flee with the medical pack… and since there's no sign of them returning to here they may have died."_

_ "Rose, trust me, if you had a Limited Edition Atmospheric Defragmenter Generation 500 XZ Crytos version with NCSDPL adaptor with free keyring you would NOT leave it out in the open…" Jack said, still staring in awe at the device. _

_ Rose handed the tube back to the Doctor. "Can we salvage anything for the injured?"_

_ The Doctor shook his head, wiping his nose with his hand. "Like I said, medical pack's gone." He paused, looking around at the wreck. "We'd better hide the vessel for the moment, we can take back to the TARDIS a bit later."_

_

* * *

  
_

_"Here."_

_ The Doctor sniffed and looked up to meet Rose's gaze, who was holding the cloth and bowl of warm water he'd asked for. He smiled gratefully, taking them and setting them down on the floor next to him before returning to his patient. The village was still recovering from the raid – many were still lying on the church floor, hanging between life and death with the severity of their injuries. _

_ Rose watched him as he cleaned and redressed a stab wound to the abdomen of a middle-aged man in a coma; care and precision clear in his approach to the task despite having probably done it a hundred times over. Rose dropped to kneel down beside him, watching him work for a moment. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows with smudges of red contrasting drastically with the skin of his hands, his expression morphed into a look of deep concentration._

_ "You look tired," Rose commented after a moment's silence._

_ "Thanks." _

_ There was a pause. _

_ "If you need some sleep me and Jack can deal with things for a bit," she carried on. He didn't answer, seemingly absorbed by his medical duties. Rose sighed, cupping his chin and turning his face towards her. The whites of his eyes were red. _

_ "I'm fine," he replied, turning his head back again. _

_ Rose fumed. "Have you looked in a mirror lately?" she asked seriously._

_ "I'm fine," he repeated._

_ "Your eyes are red."_

_ The Doctor suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, gentle but firm. He turned his head back to meet Rose's gaze – one of worry and concern. _

_ "Please," she whispered. Suddenly he felt something trickle out of his nose and run a path down towards his top lip. Rose was staring at him in shocked disbelief as he reached up towards it, wiped it with the back of his hand and rose it up to meet his face._

_ It was blood._

_ His own blood._

_ It could only mean one thing._

_ And just like that, a pain ripped harshly through his skull and he grunted, hand flying to hold his head as suddenly a wave of overwhelming dizziness washed over him. He staggered backwards to meet the wall, legs giving way beneath him as he slid into a disordered heap of limbs on the floor._

_ "Doctor?" Rose gasped and within seconds he felt a pair of arms wrap tightly around him. He daringly opened his eyes ever so slightly, only to find the world was now spinning._

_ "Doc, Rose, it's…" Through his swirling vision the Doctor managed to make out Jack's face as it fell from a comfortable smile to a look of pure shock. The Doctor's head was pounding so much it was hard to even think. He blinked to try and clear the fog, but it only seemed to get worse._

_ "Rose?" Jack whispered, refusing to accept the sight now presented before him._

_ "He got a nosebleed then collapsed…"_

_ Jack cussed; already knowing what this was as he moved forward to gather up his Time Lord best friend in both arms. The Doctor tried to say something but instead launched into a coughing fit that didn't seem to want to end. Jack's eyes widened as he realised that he was coughing up blood. They'd seen so many people die from this since they'd arrived – conjunctivitis, the nosebleed…_

_ "Larec!" Jack boomed as he stepped out of the church into the open air. Several people, taking the liberty of basking in the sun, turned and gasped, horrified by the spectacle of the Doctor lying coughing in Jack's arms. Within moments Martin had run up to them, staring with a sense of horror, fear and utter bewilderment._

_ "This way," he ordered, waving a hand to beckon them to follow him back into the church. They jogged up the aisle with a sense of urgency, turning right at the end to head towards a wooden door. They burst in to find Larec sitting at a desk with a quill in hand, writing on a piece of parchment. His head jerked up the moment they entered, his eyes instantly flickering towards the body in Jack's arms._

_ "By the Goddess!" he gasped, dropping the quill and jumping to his feet. "What happened?"_

_ Martin was already moving over to the Healer's bed, throwing off all that was on it before gesturing at Jack to lie the Doctor down. He did so, making sure he looked perfectly comfortable before he let Rose put a blanket over him. Larec was already running around the room gathering herbs and potions of a million mixes in a desperate belief that he could somehow reverse the illness, as the Doctor launched into another coughing fit, bringing specks of blood with it. Rose instantly jumped forward to support him, fighting back the tears before he finally stopped and collapsed back down onto the bed, spent._

_ By the time his fever began to manifest but five minutes later, his skin was as pale as snow._

_

* * *

  
_

_For two hours the Doctor lay shivering in the room of the Healer. His fever was refusing to break, simply continuing to spiral upward at an alarming rate with his shivering increasingly rapidly with every passing second. His head was throbbing as if someone was repeatedly hitting it with a sledgehammer; his muscles were dead; his joints aching and the overwhelming urge to just sleep completely unbearable. If he opened his eyes the world seemed to spin at one hundred miles per hour. He already knew what illness this was, and no doubt Jack and Rose did too._

_ He felt the cold cloth he had since come to look forward to drape over his forehead, the coolness a huge relief to the fever that had him in its tight and relentless grip. There were voices nearby, but even trying to figure out the words worsened the pain in his head._

_ "He's got the plague, Rose," Jack murmured gravely, dabbing at the Doctor's forehead with the wet cloth. The man in the bed was shivering dramatically; sweat lining his forehead as fever wracked through his weakened body. "But we're safe. The Doc's immune system will stop it from spreading to us, and at the same time fight it." He paused for a moment, dipping he cloth in the bowl of water and wringing it out before resuming his dabbing. "To infect a Time Lord so severely – whatever this thing is, it's probably not human."_

_ Rose nodded. "He'll get through. We always do."_

_ Jack couldn't quite bring himself to agree._


	11. Another Suitcase Full of Bad

Chapter 11 – Another Suitcase Full of Bad

_Flashback…_

_It was precisely 2:00pm when the Doctor passed out, according to Jack's manipulator. Rose had been dabbing at his forehead with the cloth when he'd opened his eyes one last time, giving her a weak smile before he slipped into a coma. For ten more minutes she continued to dab at his face, tears blurring her vision, but she forced them to recede._

_Suddenly the door burst open behind her and she jumped to her feet in surprise, spinning around to meet Jack's anxious gaze, panting heavily._

_ "Rose," he gasped. "The bandits are back – I dunno how but they've completely healed themselves!"_

And within that moment, screams of terror and pain erupted from beyond the church walls, the sound of bloodlust roars died out by the sound of stampeding footsteps hammering up the aisle of the church towards them. Rose stepped between the door and the Doctor as did Jack, his fists raised. They both tensed, ready to give their lives if it protected the Doctor as the stampede got closer… and closer… and closer…

_ "We have to protect the Doctor!" Martin's voice yelled as the door burst open to reveal him, Father Jace and Larec at the head of a pack of villagers. He made towards the unconscious body on the bed but Jack jumped in the way, arms outstretched to form a barrier._

_ "Where're we gonna take him?!" he demanded. _

_ "Out of the village!" Larec answered urgently, constantly checking over his shoulder at the entrance of the church. "He's not safe here!"_

_ "All the routes are covered by bandits!" Jack countered, refusing to step aside as Rose moved back over to the Doctor, resting her hand on each of his hearts in turn. Both were still beating. Good. _

_ "No," one of the villagers suddenly stepped forward. "There is another possibility. We can distract them whilst you affect an escape."_

_ Jack was speechless, torn between his love for his best friend and the lives of these innocent villagers. He looked back at the comatose Doctor, to the villagers, back at the Doctor, and then bit his lip. "You might die," he finally said._

_ They all nodded affirmation. _

_

* * *

  
_

During the course of her so far brief yet enthralling travels with the Doctor, Donna had been in a million and one different cages. Big cages, small cages, round cages, box cages, silver cages, black cages, brown cages, blue cages… but every time she had been chucked in she had always known the Doctor would get her out, every time.

But this time, she didn't have that comfort. The Doctor's sonic screwdriver had been stolen from him as they had stripped him of his coat and jacket, raiding the pockets for any valuable goods before tying his wrists, ankles and knees together and throwing him in the cell with her and Joshua. An hour had passed before the bandits had returned and had dragged the Doctor out into the open.

That was when the beatings started.

After a while Donna had noticed there was a definite repetition: a bandit would appear in front of the cage, give a few threats, unlock the door and dragged the Doctor out. Their choice of place varied, but usually they would opt for the stake in the middle of the encampment just in front of the cage so Joshua and Donna got the best view of what happened next. They would secure the Doctor to the stake, pick up their preferred weapon and begin their relentless ten-minute attack on their helpless victim. It was very precise timing – one of the bandits standing at the side would call out when the ten minutes were up, after which the tormenter would untie the Doctor, drag him back to the cage, lock it up and, with his accomplices, would disappear. A brief, two minute pause before the entire process was repeated, never stopping.

The Doctor had managed to bite back his screams to begin with, but after an hour of this repetitive schedule he could hold it back no longer and his screams of pain only seemed to cease in the two minute breaks, where Donna would obediently be the gentle touch he so desperately needed before he was taken back out again.

Each time he returned to the stake Donna would turn Joshua to face her and cover his ears in some kind of desperate attempt to stop him knowing what was happening to the Doctor. The horrible thing was, every time she tried to fight back, to protest, to put an _end_ to the torture, they would simply threaten her and Joshua. She didn't really care about what they'd do to her, but if Joshua was hurt in any way, never mind how the Doctor would react, she'd never be able to forgive _herself._

The Doctor became less and less coherent as the sessions passed until he reached the point where he wouldn't even speak in the breaks before being taken back out again.

Three hours passed when he was thrown back into the cage after another session, blooded, bruised and broken. Donna instantly moved forward and took him into her arms, simply holding him like she always did. Joshua silently took his most injury-free looking hand. The Doctor didn't speak for thirty seconds as Donna mentally catalogued his injuries for signs of any new ones, but the bruises were now so plentiful he was beginning to look like one big bruise. A few broken bones were pretty obvious even to Donna; she had heard the cracks, she could see the deformities… But she was no doctor and she didn't even know where to begin.

To her surprise his eyes opened ever so slightly, those dark brown pools looking up through slits at Donna under bruised eyelids. She smiled briefly at him, trying to reassure him that everything would be okay. He managed a small grin at her before his eyes slipped closed again, back, Donna presumed, into the world where pain didn't exist.

"My daddy'll save us," Joshua suddenly said, his first words since they had been thrown into the cage. He was still holding the Doctor's hand, his teeth gritted in belief and determination for his father.  
Donna nodded. "They'd be wondering where we are by now. They'll come and find us."

"Rose…" the Doctor suddenly croaked, startling Donna more than anything else. She looked back but his eyes were closed, flickering beneath their lids. He was dreaming. "Is that you, Rose?"

Caringly Donna brushed back his hair that was matted with blood. It wouldn't be long till the next round of this one-sided match began.

"Rose?" he asked again. "Is that you?"

He was talking to her, Donna realised. He was so delirious he couldn't tell the difference.

"Rose?" he asked again.

"Yeah it's me, Doctor. It's Rose." She afforded a glance up at Joshua who was just staring at her, confused. "I'm here."

"Rose," he whispered for another time. "Have they hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine, Doctor."

"Good," he whispered. "If they hurt you I would never forgive myself." His eyes closed once again, content in Donna's arms.

A shadow cast itself over the cage, the air around them instantly cold and foreboding. Donna looked up to find a bandit towering over them like so many times before, a dirty, toothless grin on his scarred face.

"Break's over," he grunted, moving to unlock the cage. Donna felt the anger boil up inside her at the idea of it all, but she knew if she did anything Joshua would be the one to pay the price. The bandit grabbed the Doctor's bound ankles, dragging him like a sack of potatoes through the wet mud to the world outside.

Suddenly all hell broke loose.

Joshua was screaming, running across the cage to the Doctor and throwing his arms around the Time Lord, holding desperately onto him.

"I won't let you!" the boy screamed, "I won't let you!!!"

"Joshua!" Donna's eyes were wide and terrified, reaching out to grab the boy to try and pull him off of the Doctor, but he wasn't letting go any time soon.

"Let him go, boy!" the bandit demanded, seemingly caught off guard by the child's sudden change in demeanour.

"No! No! I won't let you take him! I won't let you hurt him anymore!"

The bandit growled a low, a menacing sound. With a single throw of the bandit's arm Joshua was sent flying back into the cage, hitting the metal with a thud. Within seconds Donna had thrown her arms around him but he was already fighting her off, determined to break free. The bandit continued to pull the Doctor out, heaving the Time Lord's unconscious body over his shoulder and reaching for the key on his belt to the cage door with a sense of urgency. Before he could manage it Joshua had slipped out of Donna's grasp and through the gate, ramming the bandit's leg. If the bandit hadn't been so surprised maybe he would've been able to keep on his feet, but the shock of the impact was enough to send him flat on his back with the Doctor slipping from his grasp.

Suddenly a stampede of bandit footsteps were coming towards them as the camp turned from calm to chaos within a matter of seconds. Donna ran out of the cage and towards Joshua without a moment's thought for herself, the bandits almost upon them. Joshua had grabbed the Doctor's most unbroken-looking arm and was pulling him using his entire body weight, stumbling in the wet mud. Before she could reach them both, the bandit rugby-tackled to the ground by the child grabbed her from behind and held her in restraint.

"Not today mate!" she yelled, swinging her heel between his legs with crunching impact. He was on the floor in seconds and Donna was off again, calling to Joshua.

"Attack!" a voice suddenly yelled from afar and suddenly the camp was being showered by arrows. Donna tensed up and threw herself around Joshua – but the arrows weren't aiming for them. Beside them bodies hit the floor, and it wasn't long before she heard a familiar voice calling to them.

"Joshua! Doctor! Donna!" She turned to meet the gaze of Larec, his eyes wide. "Here!"

"No!" a bandit grabbed the Doctor and wrenched him out of Joshua's grip, who stumbled back into the mud. Donna took the boy into both arms who was kicking and screaming in protest, carrying him over and handing him to Larec. "Don't let go of him!" she yelled over the commotion of combat, "I'm getting the Doctor!"

Then there was a roar, and the arrows seemed to stop.

"Watch him die."

She turned back to the sound of the voice, her eyes widening at the sight as her heart skipped a beat. The one remaining bandit held the unconscious Doctor upright, knife resting against his throat. Mere seconds after Donna had turned the bandit gave a toothless grin, and he drew the knife across skin.

Donna wasn't the only one screaming as the Doctor hit the floor.

* * *

**A/N:**Is there such a thing as too much whump? :o Naaaaah...


	12. Shattered Rose

**A/N: **Dumb school... :o

* * *

Chapter 12 – Shattered Rose

_Flashback…_

_The Doctor eased open his eyes to the world outside._

_ Figures swam into focus, two of them towering over him. Blurs evolved into shapes, which evolved into the forms of Rose and Gabrielle each sitting next to him, but not looking at him. They were in a beautiful forest in the midst of the summer season, light catching the bright green leaves with the sound of trickling water and rustling leaves both close and far away. He had a large, thick hide covering him; ropes around his chest securing him to the surface he was laying on, presumably some kind of makeshift stretcher. Someone was holding his hand (Rose?) and someone was absently dabbing at his brow (Gabrielle…) with a cold cloth. _

_ He turned his head slightly to the left, catching an agitated Captain Jack Harkness pacing up and down the forest floor. It seemed silent – too silent. Last thing he remembered was being in the room of the Healer struggling to stay conscious with Rose beside him, mopping his brow as Gabrielle was now._

_ Next he turned his head to the right, seeing primarily Gabrielle sat cross-legged beside him, staring off into the distance in a daydream. Behind her he could see Father Jace, hands clasped together in prayer, muttering under his breath._

_ The Doctor squeezed Rose's hand who seemed to jump in surprise, eyes snapping down to meet his gaze as he grinned cheekily. Jack jumped forward and dropped to his knees beside him, doing a covert scan with his manipulator._

_ "Doctor!" Rose exclaimed, in turn startling the rest of them. "How do you feel?"_

_ "I feel fine," the Doctor replied with a smile. It was true, too. All of his symptoms had seemingly vanished in the time he'd been unconscious. His body was pain free, his airways clear, his eyes focused. He scratched at the side of his neck and yawned as Jack hid the future technology from the medieval citizens, checking the results._

_ "Your temperature's at 18 degrees Celsius," Jack announced, sound surprised. "Almost back to normal."_

_ Father Jace joined them now, resting his hand on the Doctor's head. "I do not understand your terminology," he said to Jack. "But I can see Mondrith has lifted her punishment on you, Doctor."_

_ The Doctor smiled again before he gestured around the forest clearing that surrounded them. "We on a picnic?" he asked cheerily._

_ The others, having been so wrought with guilt, hate and anger, were relieved to able to smile once more. Jack began to explain all that had happened whilst the Doctor had been unconscious: the raid on the village, the plan to get the sick Time Lord out (he neglected to mention the sacrifice of the villagers – the Doctor already had enough to think about) and the so-far two-hour long wait in the forest._

_ "The combat has most likely stopped by now," Father Jace was saying. "But we did not feel it right to go back."_

_ The Doctor nodded, understanding as Jack began to untie him from the makeshift stretcher. He pushed himself to prop up on his elbows, Rose engulfing him instantly in a bone-crushing hug._

_ "Invincible Time Lord," she whispered in his ear with a smile as they embraced._

_ "You bet!" the Doctor replied, holding her tight. Jack couldn't help but smile as his best friends held onto each other tightly as though they'd never let go._

_ Suddenly the Doctor tensed in her arms, and Rose instantly drew back, somehow fearing a relapse. "What is it?"_

_ His demeanour changed within seconds. "Get down," he grated with a sense of urgency that no one dared ignore, letting go of Rose and pushing her gently to lie down. "Stay silent."_

_ They did so, straining to see or hear what the Doctor was getting that they weren't. They remained in silence for ten seconds before Jack finally picked up on the sound._

_ Twigs cracking beneath heavy footfalls – footfalls that could only be made by big, heavy, bandit boots._

_ Rose sought out the Doctor's hand again, clutching it tightly. How many of them were there? Four? Five? Six? Too many for the gathered party even if they were all strong enough to fight. Jack could fight but Father Jace was too old, Gabrielle and Rose too unable to match the bandits' strength, and the Doctor still weak from his illness. They didn't stand a chance._

_ A bandit came into view, hobbling towards them with a huge smile on his face._

_ "Dere you are!" he grunted with glee. "On yer feet, all o' yer!"_

_ "Do as he says," the Doctor commanded, Rose helping him to his feet with the others following."_

_ The bandit stepped forward and drew out his sword, waving it around to declare his authority. "Who wants t'go firs'?"_

_ Jack exchanged a look with the Doctor – they were both waiting for the other bandits to arrive. But… if this was the only one…_

_ "I'll go first," Jack announced, stepping forward to the bandit. The bandit seemed surprised, but it only took a moment to regain his demeanour as he drew out a mace from the assortment of weapons his belt, smiling._

_ "You're a little outnumbered, aren't you?" the Doctor suddenly pointed out correctly. _

_ "Yeah, where're your little friends?" Jack asked, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow._

_ The bandit looked surprised again. He didn't really seem to have an answer. "They're comin'!" he said, sounding sure of himself. _

_ The Doctor and Jack gave each other another knowing smile. "Can't hear them myself," the Doctor continued, lowering his hands and shoving them in his pockets. "They must be on tiptoes."_

_ The bandit could see he was obviously losing authority. "They'll be righ' 'ere!"_

_ "Uh huh," Jack murmured, dropping his hands and turning his back on the bandit, walking back to the laughing crowd, who by now had also dropped their arms to their sides._

_ The bandit resorted to waving his mace about again ineffectually. The Doctor rolled his eyes, sighing heavily as he also turned away and began to walk back towards the others._

_ The bandit's look of shock suddenly morphed into one of anger and he once again raised his mace, running straight towards the Doctor who still had his back turned. Rose watched, horrified as the mace began to fall with force straight towards the Doctor's spine…_

_ "No!" Rose screamed, running forward in a flash and pushing him out the maces path, but as she turned back towards it she realised with a sense of impending doom, she was IN it. _

_ The Doctor heard a loud crack as he lay on the floor, too dazed and confused to comprehend what the cause of the sound might be. Seconds later he heard the thud of a fallen body and the entire forest seemed to sink into silence around them. He looked up, shocked as Rose registered in his vision lying on the ground next to him in a pool of blood…_

_ "ROSE!" the Doctor screamed hysterically, clambering to his feet and almost tripping over himself in a panic to get to the girl. He dropped down next to her unconscious body, reaching down to her head, her hair already soaking with warm, crimson blood. He stared in utter disbelief, unable to comprehend what he was seeing._

_ "What the HELL have you done?!" Jack screamed at the bandit, striding forward in a few small steps directly in front of the bandit, throwing a punch to his face. He staggered and fell to the floor, dazed. "You bastard!" the ex-Time Agent yelled, pinning the man's arms behind his back in what looked like an incredibly painful position. Jack spun his head back to the Doctor, who was cradling the limp woman's body in both arms, seemingly paralysed by the sight._

_ "Rose…" he whispered, resting his fingers on her neck for a pulse. She was alive, her heart was beating, she was breathing. Focus Doctor, he told himself, Rose needs you, she needs you to save her…_

_ Tentatively he reached up to her blood-matted hair; delicately touching the side the blood seemed to be pouring from. There was too much damage: her skull was shattered, her brain was injured, he couldn't do anything… _

_ "Doc?!" Jack yelled, breaking through the shock the Doctor seemed to be in. "Is she gonna be okay?!"_

_ The Doctor couldn't bring himself to answer, feeling the tears welling in his eyes. If she survived, brain damage…_

_ Jack swore again, not needing the verbal answer. The bandit yelled in agony as Jack put more pressure on his arms. "You've killed her, you've killed Rose!" He turned back to the Doctor but he was still holding Rose in both arms, staring at her now with silent tears rolling down his cheeks._

_ "Doc!" Jack implored the Time Lord, "speak to me!"_

_ The Doctor couldn't hear him, his ears screaming with his vision swerving in and out with the shock. He set her gently on the ground, brushing back the hair from her eyes before he finally looked up at the bandit, his face blank of emotion._

_ "Doctor," Jack said slowly, eyes wide, staring at the Time Lord. "Doctor, please, listen to my voice, calm down…"_

_ The Doctor couldn't hear anything for the shock. He gazed at the bandit as if deciding what to do to him in return for killing Rose Tyler, his usually warm brown eyes now devoid of emotion – cold and empty. Relentless. Unforgiving. Pure, undivided hate._

_ He started moving forwards towards the man lying helpless on the ground._

_ Jack hardly had time to let go of the bandit before the Doctor was upon him, grabbing the bandit by his throat and lifting him in the air and slamming him against a tree with strength Jack didn't even know the Time Lord had in him._

_ "No!" the bandit screamed, thrashing around, trying desperately to get away from the Oncoming Storm. "Please dun't kill meh!"_

_ The Doctor didn't utter a word as his grip around the bandit's neck began to tighten._

_ "Please!"_

_ "Doctor!" Jack said firmly, moving towards the Doctor and grabbing his arm, trying to pull it away – but it was though he was a statue. "Let go! You're killin' him!"_

_ But what the Doctor said next sent chills through his spine._

_ "That is the intention."_

_

* * *

  
_

Donna's legs felt like lead. Her heart was in her throat and her brain didn't seem to want to coordinate with her limbs as she stared at the Doctor's broken body lying on the ground of the camp in a pool of his own blood. She couldn't speak. She couldn't think. No. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Travelling with the Doctor was the trip of a lifetime, the best days of her life, seeing new planets and life and…

Not this.

Definitely not this.

There was a sudden dull thud as the metal bolt fired from Martin's crossbow impacted directly into the bandit's chest. He didn't cry out, but merely smiled, silently sinking to the floor as he died on the spot.

Donna didn't even know she was moving. She suddenly found herself over by the Doctor, standing above his prone form lying silent and unmoving in the now calm evening air.

"Doctor," she whispered, dropping to her knees beside him, tentatively pushing him over to lie flat on his back. He flopped awkwardly with her push; his now upturned throat exposing the four-inch gouge in the skin, bleeding profusely. She swallowed. "Doctor," she whispered again. _"What _do I_ do?"_

He didn't answer her.

And Donna didn't know if he ever would again.


	13. Beating Hearts

Chapter 13 – Beating Hearts

_Flashback…_

"_No!" the bandit screamed, thrashing around, trying desperately to get away from the Oncoming Storm. "No! Please!"_

_The Doctor's hand tightened around the bandit's neck, his face still impassive._

"_Doctor!" Jack tried yelling again, but to no effect. The Time Lord was as though in a trance._

"_I can… I can…" The bandit was choking and struggling. "I can save 'er! Please!" He gasped down air, fear written over every millimetre of his face. "I got this thing!" the bandit said quickly, struggling to reach into his pocket. The Doctor's eyes suddenly narrowed, releasing his grip slightly on the bandit's neck. The bandit gasped down air, tears rolling down his face as he bought out a small glass phial, a hint of golden liquid akin to honey residing in the bottom. He held it out to the Doctor._

"_What's that?" Jack asked._

"_It's holy liquid or summat, it cures people 'n stuff!"_

_The Doctor held the bandit in place with his right hand, taking the phial into his left and staring at it for a long moment._

"_Make 'er drink it!" the bandit squeaked. "We used it after the firs' raid, on our bes' fighters! They got healed!"_

_Jack looked towards the Doctor, daring to rest a hand on his shoulder still holding up the bandit. "They healed really fast," he said. "Too fast. We still had people fightin' for their lives in the church when they attacked."_

_The Doctor didn't move for a moment. He stared at the phial as everyone remained silent around him, terrified of what would happen next. The bandit's breathing got more and more rasped as he tensed up, waiting to die. Jack watched the Doctor carefully, studying his face for any hint as to what he would do. Silently he willed his friend to recognise what he was doing, to stop before he went too far…_

_Suddenly the Doctor let go of the bandit, cradling the liquid in both hands as the other man fell to the floor, gasping and holding his throat. The Doctor turned and bounded over to Rose, dropping beside her and taking her into both arms, holding onto her tightly. One handed he popped the top of the phial and pressed it to Rose's lips, tipping it so the honey-like liquid run down and into her mouth. The Doctor replugged the phial and dropped it on the ground on his right, holding the young woman's body to his as if trying to channel his energy to her. He sniffed as he felt the tears run down his cheeks, not used to displaying his emotions so openly in front of people._

_For a few moments, nothing happened. The Doctor screwed his eyes shut, fists tightening on the material of her coat as he held her, willing with all of his might…_

"_Doctor," came a muffled voice from somewhere in his chest. "You're squishin' my nose."_

_

* * *

  
_

Father Jace was beside Donna in a flash, kneeling down next to the Doctor and reaching into his herb pouch, scrabbling quickly for something inside. Donna kept her eyes on the Doctor, pressing her fingers to his bloodstained neck to search for a pulse… yes! There came a deadly slow but rhythmical throbbing against her fingertips – he was clinging on.

But her joy soon dissipated as she leant forward, hearing quiet squeaks of troubled breathing through the severed airway. He was still bleeding profusely, and within moments the squeaking stopped.

He'd stop breathing.

Desperately Donna tried to think of things the Doctor had told her about his anatomy, a reassurance that he had a biological backup plan for an injury like this… but she couldn't think. If that was to do with shock or the fact she probably hadn't been listening at the time she didn't know.

Finally Father Jace found what he was looking for – a small glass bottle with a screw cap, containing golden liquid as thin as water. He unscrewed it and gently pushed Donna aside, taking the Doctor's head in his palm and pressing the bottle to the Time Lord's lips, tipping it just enough for a tiny trickle to drop into his mouth. Donna watched with apprehension, seconds silently ticking away into the dust.

What happened next was so subtle that Donna almost missed it.

The lacerated skin of his skin slowly but surely began to knit back together, the blooded cut shrinking slowly back to a thin scar… The blood was still spilt from the infliction but now it was no longer bleeding, leaving a thin, 4-inch long scar around his throat before it stopped. Donna swallowed, confused and shocked at what she was seeing, regaining enough of her composure to reach out a hand to hover over his mouth and check he was breathing.

He wasn't.

"C'mon, Doctor…"

Instantly she started CPR, aware she was receiving some very strange looks from bystanders. She pumped both of his hearts ten times, before pinching his nose and opening his mouth, breathing life into him twice, reverting back to chest compressions. After a few moments he took in a breath and began to cough chestily, turning over onto his side with his hand on his throat. Donna sighed with relief as the villagers gasped around her, two people moving forward.

"Doctor," she said gently, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He continued to cough, and Donna was not surprised to see specks of bright red blood appearing on the barren floor. When he was done he rolled back over and closed his eyes, head lolling to the side as he passed out once more. Donna quickly checked his hearts – only one beating. She hadn't really expected both, under the circumstances.

She turned to Father Jace, eyes wide and demanding. "What the bloody hell was that?" she wanted to know.

"Holy water," Father Jace replied, observing as the two villagers carefully shifted the Time Lord onto a blanket.

"That's the holiest water I've seen, mate!" Donna said, rounding on him with hands on hips. "Where'd you get it?"

Father Jace's eyes seemed to glaze over as a small smile appeared on his face, reminiscing. "Five years ago," he stated, as if it explained everything.

Donna didn't have a chance to reply to this as suddenly the Doctor began to cough uncontrollably, almost sounding like he was going to bring up a lung. He lurched wildly with each chesty cough before he finally made a choking sound and collapsed back down like a rag doll, an eerie silence following. Donna ran over to him and rested her hand on his chest – but she couldn't feel a soft thudding against her palm.

She cursed under her breath, restarting CPR until he kicked back into life. She wasn't about to let him die. For one thing, Donna didn't have a clue how to operate the TARDIS and she didn't fancy being stuck in 1259 AD for the rest of her life.

The TARDIS… where was the TARDIS? If… _when, _Donna hastily corrected herself, the Doctor woke up, he'd have to give her a point in the right direction. No doubt he'd need medical attention from a slightly more advanced age than the village had to offer, even if they did have suspicious all-healing sacred water.

His heart stopped four times en route back to the village, and each time Donna started it again she wondered more and more if she was doing the right thing.

* * *

_Flashback… _

_Rose was thankful that the Doctor had managed to locate some pain relievers in his extensive pockets for the throbbing she could feel in her skull. She couldn't remember ever feeling a headache as bad as this one – not even Shareen's girls' nights out came close. _

_It had hurt too much to stand up, so the Doctor had carried her over to the stretcher he had previously been occupying and had made sure she was comfortable there. She couldn't make sense of what they were saying but the tone of the Doctor's smooth voice had been enough to reassure her everything was fine._

_She must have gone to sleep for a while, because she'd closed her eyes for just one second, and when she opened them it was night. She looked up to see the Doctor sitting next to her, seemingly lost in thought as he stared at the midnight sky above. The light of the moon shone down through the trees onto his face, making him look exhausted yet handsome at the same time. She reached up a hand to touch his cheek and he blinked in surprise, looking down at her and smiling._

"_How you feeling?" he asked lowly, resting his fingers on her neck._

"_Like I got hit by a bowling ball."_

_The Doctor smiled gently. "Not that far off," was all he said, looking hesitant as he reached out to the right side of her head. She felt his cool fingers touch her skin, tentative; as if he was afraid it would hurt her._

"_Does this hurt?" he asked. She frowned. _

"_No. Should it?"_

"_Yes." He continued to feel around her skull, grimacing as he worked. "A little scarring. That's permanent, I'm afraid."_

"_What happened?" she asked, reaching up to feel what he was feeling._

"_What do you remember?"_

_Rose thought about this for a moment. "I pushed you out the way of something, then I turned 'round and then…" she trailed off, before managing to reinstate herself. "How did you save me?"_

"_I didn't, it was the bandit."_

_Rose frowned. "How…"_

"_I think," the Doctor interrupted, touching her head again. "Nanogenes."_

_Rose's frowned deepened even more. "What? From where?"_

"_That crashed vessel we found," the Doctor said. "The medical box was missing. Let's assume the alien, whoever they are, stagger off from their ship to the stream where they drop the medical pack, which springs open and the nanogene tube tumbles out and smashes on a rock. All the nanogenes are released into the stream. Further down the river, the bandits are collecting drinking water…"_

"_They got the nanogene water?"_

_He nodded. "They give it to the sick and begin to notice the powerful healing changes the water brings. Excited, they try it on fractures and lacerations to gain incredible instant results. Before you know it, a perfectly fit fighting force."_

"_And that's what you used on me?"_

_The Doctor nodded. "Not concentrated enough for full recovery…" He raised a smile. "…But good enough to bring you back."_

"_But the technology is completely out of its age…"_

_He nodded. "That's why we're heading to the bandit camp to get the rest of this nanogene infused water." He inclined with his head towards the left, Rose following to find a bandit lying snoring on the forest floor near Jack and the dying camp fire. "He's taking us." He let go of her head again and gave a gentle smile. "You should get some sleep."_

"_Stay with me?"_

_He grinned. "'Course." He pulled himself onto the makeshift stretcher with her, lying down and putting a comforting arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his chest; precisely over his right heart so she could listen to the comforting beat as she drifted away into sleep._


	14. Relapse

**A/N:** My internet died on Saturday so for most of the week I've been sent back to the Stone Age, but it was more of a blessing in disguise it would seem, as I managed to get another chapter done! Le Gasp! (I know French, me :D) But now it's back, so once again Final Fantasy 11-shaped distractions will be abundant...

* * *

Chapter 14 - Relapse

_Flashback…_

_When Rose woke up, the Doctor was gone._

_ The pain in her head had vanished so she sat up and looked around at her surroundings, finding a now lit campfire with the bandit still asleep next to it, Jack apparently cooking the morning's meal. He looked up at her._

_ "You hungry?" he asked._

_ Her stomach growled loudly in reply. Jack grinned, turning his attentions back to cooking breakfast._

_ "Where's the Doctor?" she enquired, but Jack only shrugged. Rose pushed herself off of the makeshift stretcher and onto both feet, stretching and yawning. She could see Father Jace and Gabrielle over by a stream, collecting water together. She wandered over to them._

_ "Hey, have you seen the Doctor?" she asked, but they shook their heads. She sighed, looking through the tress of the forest as if expecting to see him standing there grinning. It was the only way he could've gone. A little odd, having a random one-to-one with nature at a time like this she thought, but the Doctor was a very random man. She headed into the forest._

_"Doctor?" she called every now and then as she navigated her way slowly through the dense forestry. "Doctor?"_

_Minutes passed. As she got further and further in, her surroundings seemed to get more foreboding, a cold breeze biting at her skin as the hairs rose on the back of her neck. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong… Her mind was telling her to head towards a big oak tree in the distance, she didn't know why but it felt… right. It was as though something was pulling her to that direction, something that lingered in the shadows reeling her in with a lasso… But she couldn't help but surrender to it, and altered her direction._

_Suddenly a potent stench reached her nose – the awful smell of dried vomit she had only once become familiar with; when Mickey had come down with a particularly nasty case of food poisoning from the local curry takeaway. Instantly her sense of uneasiness rose dramatically, but thankfully her determination to find the Doctor also increased with it._

_"Doctor!" she called, louder this time. "Where are you?" No answer._

_She kept walking in the direction her surroundings were pulling her. What else could she do? Every neuron in her brain was screaming, 'trap' as the foul stench became worse and worse, almost too much to bear. A few more minutes passed as she progressed cautiously through the woodland, her thoughts turning to Jack and the camp. Were they far? She'd probably only come a quarter of a mile, if that. Would they be able to hear her if she screamed?_

_She was close to the oak tree now; it was barely more than a few minutes away. She was so absorbed in what was ahead of her that she almost fell over when something caught her foot. In surprise she looked down – and found the best, yet worst thing possible._

_"Doctor…" she breathed, kneeling down next to the body lying still on the floor. She pulled him over to lie on his back, his head lolling uselessly on the floor. Anxiously she rested her hand on his chest, but drew it back in alarm when she felt the hugely irregular beating of his left heart. It was rapidly beating as though he'd just run a marathon. She moved her hand to rest against the right side of his chest, where it also rang out the same crazy beat. Who knew how long he'd been there, lying on the damp soil. No doubt it was his vomit she could smell. Whether the pull had been his mind calling out or pure luck on her part Rose didn't know, but she'd found an unconscious needle in a giant forest haystack._

_She began to yell for Jack, hoping to god he could hear her._

* * *

The Doctor's working heart had taken the hint that it had to keep beating by the time they had got back to the village.

The room of the Healer was still damaged from the fire so the Doctor had been taken back to Martin's house to rest. Donna had nothing to do but sit by his bedside and wait as numerous villagers came and went with their prayers, very much a repetition from just a few days earlier – though this time, Donna didn't have a clue whether he was going to pull through.

She had explained to Martin and Elizabeth exactly what had happened in the bandit camp; the punishment the Doctor had endured to protect her and Joshua. The tears in Elizabeth's eyes as she held her son to her was enough to show just how grateful she truly was to the Doctor for keeping Joshua safe, whilst Martin had silently assumed authority by the Doctor's bedside, dabbing at the Time Lord's lips with a water-soaked cloth.

Larec and Gabrielle had been around every few hours to bathe his wounds in various ointments and mixes of herbs, but Donna knew plants couldn't heal broken bones. He needed proper medical care – he needed the TARDIS. Wherever she was now.

No one had even mentioned the miracle cure Father Jace had used. When Father Jace had came around to pray for the Doctor, Donna had implored him to use it again – just enough so the Doctor could have a fighting chance – but Father Jace, puzzlingly, had just insisted he was acting by the Doctor's own wishes.

Joshua had spent almost every waking moment talking to the Doctor's unconscious body, playing with the toys his father had carved for him on the covers next to the Time Lord. When Donna had come in to tell him his dinner was ready she'd found him curled into the Doctor's side, sleeping peacefully.

Twenty-four hours of silence from the Doctor passed.

* * *

_Flashback…_

_"It's the plague," Jack said._

_"But… but…" Rose stammered, looking down at the Doctor since deposited onto the stretcher by Jack. "It went! You saw! He was fine!"_

_Jack pulled a face, reaching out to unbutton the Doctor's jacket and shirt. "It tricked all of us," he said as he pulled back the material to reveal large, raised, red blotches all over the Time Lord's chest. He cursed, resting his hand over the Doctor's left heart._

_"How bad is it?" Rose dared herself to ask. He quickly checked the other heart before looking up at her, his expression grave. Her heart dropped._

_"See these?" he pointed to the red blotches. "They're purpura, symptomatic of severe meningitis. Their redness is his blood. His hearts have gone into tachycardia; no telling how long before he goes into complete hearts failure." Jack checked none of the others were watching as he produced his manipulator and covertly did a quick scan, reading the results. "Hypovolaemia," he muttered._

_"What's that mean?"_

_"Trouble. It's the loss of blood volume. He's haemorrhaging from the arteries, bleeding inside, the hypovolaemia is probably what caused him to faint." He checked the manipulator again. "His kidneys are failing, rapidly."_

_Rose's gaze dropped to the floor, her eyes awash with tears. "How long does he have?" she whispered. Jack didn't answer for a moment, watching the Doctor's pale, impassive face for a moment._

_"Once his kidneys fail…" he paused, struggling to keep it together. "…A couple of hours, if that," he croaked._

_Rose reached out to the Doctor, brushing back his hair lovingly. "What do we do?"_

_Jack took in a giant breath, still staring at the Doctor. "We keep going. Get to the bandit camp and get the future technology out of their hands."_

_Rose's eyes widened. "Yes! Jack, they'll have more of that nanogene water! We could use it on him!"_

_Jack didn't have the heart to tell her there wasn't enough time, so instead he spread a forced smile. "Maybe."_

_Rose smiled and looked down at the Doctor, but almost jumped out of her skin when drop of blood suddenly trickled out of the corner of his mouth and down the side of his face. Jack drew a handkerchief out of his coat pocket and wiped it away, but another drop of blood dribbled out of his nose soon after. He wiped that away, but then another dribbled out of the tear duct of his eye. He was bleeding out of every orifice, Jack realised, as suddenly lines of blood fell from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. He struggled to keep up with it, Rose slowly backing away with her eyes wide._

_"Jack, we have to move," she said in a wavering voice. "Now."_


	15. Last Rites

**A/N:** Yay, illness has its positive side :D

* * *

Chapter 15 - Last Rites

_Flashback…_

"We don't have time to stop!" Rose was pacing up and down in agitation, running her hands through her hair. "We've gotta keep moving!"

Jack bowed his head, not even wanting to make eye contact with her as his eyes flickered to the Doctor lying unconscious on the stretcher, Father Jace speaking prayers next to him as Gabrielle tried to make him as comfortable as possible.

"We've been walking for a long time, Rose. We have to take a break."

Rose attempted calm herself down, knowing Jack was right. She cast a glance over to the Doctor; he'd since stopped bleeding, but he was now as pale as a glass of milk.

She moved over to him, lowering herself to sit cross-legged at his head. Father Jace looked up at her, looking as though he were about to say something but afraid to. She looked at him enquiringly.

He looked back down at the Doctor again. "I… I would like to perform Last Rites."

The words cut Rose like razor blades. She took in a breath, shifting the Doctor's head onto her lap and stroking back his hair gently.

"Do it," she said.

Father Jace nodded, reaching into his herb pouch and drawing out a bottle of what Rose could only presume to be Olive Oil. He wet his finger with it before reaching out and drawing a circle on the Doctor's forehead.

"Through this holy anointing may Mondrith in Her love and mercy help you. May She who frees you from the cares of this life pardon whatever sins you have committed. Let Her clean your soul and bring you peace in the Hereafter. Amen."

And without another word, both he and Gabrielle got up and left Rose alone with the Doctor. She just held her Time Lord for a few more minutes, as if willing her strength to pass to him.

As a result, she almost jumped out of her skin when his eyes suddenly snapped open, staring up at her in shock.

"Wh…? What's…? Where…?"

Rose's face broke into a smile, taking his hand and squeezing it. But her smile didn't last long.

"Leela?" he asked, sounding so weak and innocent. Tears sprung to her eyes. He didn't recognise her…

"It's Rose, Doctor. Remember?"

He blinked. "Rose," he repeated, voice croaking. "Rose Tyler…"

"Yeah, that's right," she said gently, still brushing back his hair. "It's me."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and he wasn't talking about calling her the wrong name.

"You did nothin' wrong," she answered, forcing a smile.

"I…" he paused, obviously struggling to find the right words. "… I can't feel my… my right arm or leg."

"That's all right," she said. "They weren't that important anyway."

He let go a laugh and the sound made her laugh too, even through the tears.

"My…" He was struggling for the right word again, as though he were a foreigner trying to speak a language he was unfamiliar with. "… My… My head, it hurts…"

Rose looked up to find Jack walking over to them both, doing a quick scan with his manipulator. He checked the results and his look of despair only seemed to deepen. She looked back to the Doctor, offering a small smile of reassurance.

"Jack, Rose," the Doctor murmured, his eyes lightly closed. "When I… when… when I die, get back to the… the TARDIS as fast as you can, she'll take you… home."

Jack tried to steel himself. "What do you want us to do with your body?"

"Burn it," he said. "Get rid of the… the ashes. No one can ever… ever know I existed. Leave the TARDIS on some… street corner somewhere. Your keys are… are… indestructible, lock them away in a vault; throw them into a… volcano, I don't mind. Just make sure they're never found."

"Okay," Rose said gently, squeezing the hand she cradled.  


_ "Jack, promise me you'll look after Rose."_

_ "I promise."_

_ "Jack," he whispered again, voice getting weaker. "If I lose my… mind and I'm in a lot of pain before the end, please kill me."_

Jack's eyes widened. "I can't do that, Doctor."

"Please," the Time Lord begged. "I… I…"

Rose watched in horror as suddenly the Doctor began to convulse in her arms and she let go, confused and terrified. Jack knew there was nothing they could do so he took Rose into both arms and held her in comfort as she buried her head into his chest – anything to get the fitting Time Lord out of her sight. Eventually Jack let go of her and she turned to see the Doctor lying with his eyes closed, unmoving.

Jack hesitantly reached forward, hovering his hand over the Doctor's mouth. He waited for ten seconds, before moving down his hand on each individual heart.

He sat back, dejected. "I can't feel anything." 

* * *

Donna had been dozing when the Doctor finally opened his eyes.

She jerked upright and looked down at him, wondering for a moment whether she was dreaming. Martin jumped to his feet, obviously as shocked as she was.

"Water," he croaked, eyes sunken and bruised. Instantly Martin turned on his heel and bolted back out through the door, leaving Donna alone with the Doctor.

"Martin's gone to get some," she said, trying to be gentle. She wasn't very good at caring for the sick, she admitted that, but she tried her best.

He attempted to nod, but the movement made him wince, badly. "Josh," he whispered next.

Donna nodded reassuringly. "He's fine. They didn't touch him."

"You?"

"I'm fine too, thanks to you."

He tried to raise a small smile, but once again the strain was too much to bear and a single tear left his eye and rolled down the side of his face, a small squeak of pain like a hamster in distress coming from somewhere in his throat.

"It's okay, it's okay," Donna found herself saying over and over again. She was sure he was finding it annoying. "Shush, you're in the village, you're safe."

The bedroom door opened again with a creak and Martin came back in, holding a wooden tankard filled with water. Joshua was trailing behind him with his head bowed, looking ready to burst into hyperactivity at the sight of the Doctor awake, but managing to refrain himself. He stood at the side of the bed with his nose over the side, watching Martin and Donna as they attempted to lift the water to the Doctor's lips for him to drink without moving him too much. By the end of it the Doctor's breathing was laboured, one of the lacerations across his abdomen had opened and tears of silent agony were falling down the sides of his face. He drained the tankard within a matter of seconds and let himself be manoeuvred back down before he passed out again instantly.

With expert ease from repetition Martin cleaned and redressed the wound that had been opened before resuming his original position beside the bed – leant forward, eyes closed, head in hands. Wordlessly Joshua climbed onto the bed to lie next to the Doctor, and closed his eyes too.

* * *

_Flashback…_

Rose tried desperately not to believe him. She reached out to rest her fingers on his neck, checking for a pulse… wanting… hoping… needing…

Yes! It was extremely slow and unnaturally weak, but it was there.

"Healin' coma!" she exclaimed suddenly. "He told me once, he can put himself into this coma thing and it helps to heal his body, he stops breathin' durin' it and life signs are like, really faded."

Jack's eyes widened in revelation. "Of course! Rose, d'you realise what this means?"

Rose stared at him, unable to believe what he might be suggesting.

"His body can't heal itself from this much damage whatsoever, no." Rose's face fell, but for some reason Jack was still beaming away. "But it can slow down the infection, buy us some time. If we're lucky Rose, if we move fast, if we get to the bandit camp within hours we might just be able to get some nanogenes to him in time."

Rose could hardly believe her ears, the notion still sinking in. Silent seconds passed before she suddenly jumped onto both feet, gathering things together. "Then what the hell are we waitin' for? Let's move!"

But her heart suddenly sank as Jack went rigid, the smile frozen on his face as he looked around the encampment, and Rose realised the missing element.

"The bandit…" she whispered, feeling numb. "He was taking us there… where did he go?"

"He's gone," Jack muttered, dully. "We're never gonna get there in time now."  



	16. Scary Voice

**A/N:** I like to think that was quick. Was it quick? I think so :o That won't happen again for a while...

* * *

Chapter 16 – Scary Voice

The Doctor slept like a child in the throes of a nightmare. Perhaps he was having one, Donna couldn't tell, but he twisted and turned violently, his body seemingly convulsing in pain at every inch he moved as tears streamed down his face in his sleep. Donna had tried to hold him down to prevent him moving and hurting himself but this only seemed to worsen his pain, so she was forced to watch him try and handle the agony on his own knowing she couldn't do a thing to ease it. If only she knew where the TARDIS was, then she could fetch some medicines or something that would help. She hated feeling like a spare part.

Hours passed. Larec and Gabrielle came and went with their herbs and oils, Father Jace with his prayers, before the Doctor finally opened his eyes again, and within seconds she and Martin were standing ready by his bedside like loyal dogs ready to do anything for their master.

"Water," the Doctor gasped again, and luckily Martin had already forward planned. He and Donna moved the Doctor to sit up again, before Martin pressed the tankard to his lips and he gratefully gulped it down. When he was finished he contentedly breathed out, slumping exhaustedly against the pillows of the bed. "Thank you," he breathed.

"Do you require anything else?" Martin enquired anxiously, and the Time Lord made a feeble attempt at shaking his head negatively.

Donna reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder. "Where's the TARDIS, Doctor? Can you feel her? I could go get medicines or a machine or summat…" she said, completely forgetting the presence of Martin in the room. But it didn't matter anyway; the Doctor had passed out again as she'd uttered the sentence.

Donna sighed, exasperated. This was taking far too long. She'd have to try and hunt the TARDIS down for herself. She got to her feet, and Martin looked at her quizzically. "Where are you going?" he asked.

Donna didn't answer him directly. "If he wakes up, tell him I've gone to find the TARDIS. He'll know what I'll mean."

But Martin's eyes were wide. "But she's probably at the bandit camp, a few may have survived…"

"I'm sorry," she said gravely, "but I can't just stand by and watch him like this. It's not right. I gotta find summat to help him."

Martin sighed, knowing he was not going to talk her out of it. He extended a hand to shake hers solemnly. "May Mondrith bless your journey," he said.

Donna didn't really know what to say to that. "…Yeah. Thanks," she said, quickly rummaging through the Doctor's coat pocket hung up by the bed for the sonic before stepping out of the door. She closed it behind her, and then suddenly stopped. Wait. She'd said the 'TARDIS', and Martin seemed to take the notion into his stride. He had even referred to the TARDIS as a 'she'.

Just what was the Doctor not telling her?

* * *

_Flashback…_

_"No," Rose suddenly said, standing up straight with a strong sense of determination. "I won't let him die. I'm gonna find that bandit camp and I'm gonna get that nanogene water. I've already watched him die once, Jack. I won't watch him die again."_

_"Rose…" Jack began, but Rose was already on her feet._

_"Stay here, Jack. Look after him. I'll be faster on my own. Big guy like that leaves tracks in the forestry – broken sticks and stuff. Just need to follow it."_

_"No way," Jack got to his feet beside her, grabbing her by the arm firmly. "If they spot you they'll kill you."_

_"I don't care, Jack!" Rose struggled to pull free of his grip. "Let me go!"_

_"I made a promise to a dying man, Rose," Jack said sternly, and Rose stilled in his grip. "And I don't break promises. I'm keepin' you safe."_

_Rose tried to pull away again. "I'm gonna go find this camp, Jack!"_

_"I'm not stoppin' you, Rose. I'm comin' with you."_

* * *

An hour of stumbling about in the knee-high mud of the forest and Donna was beginning to wish she'd brought a pair of wellies. Come to think of it, this was a pretty stupid idea to begin with. How did she possibly think she'd be able to even find the camp let alone the TARDIS?

But the thought of knowing the Doctor was, for once, relying on her, fuelled her onwards. She didn't know how, but less than an hour later she was standing in front of the gateway to the bandit camp, heads of unfortunate passer-bys serving as warnings on sticks to anyone who might be thinking of strolling in.

Someone like her.

She gulped, and began to walk forwards. It was eerily silent. She could see the pools of red that she knew to be the Doctor's all over the camp floor. She forced herself to breathe slowly and evenly. Relax, Donna. He's all right. He's getting better. She hoped.

She walked through the encampment, skipping around the pools of blood she came upon every now and then. Her eyes searched desperately for that familiar bright blue of the TARDIS, but she could see nothing.

It took her thirty minutes to completely search the entirety of the bandit camp, and there was absolutely nothing. Not even a clue like a giant square hole in the middle of the muddy floor. She sighed, shoulders dropping as she cast one last look around the encampment in the vague hope of missing something absurdly obvious before turning back to the gate.

She yelped in surprise and stumbled back a few paces as a bandit suddenly lurched into view, a ruffled, dirty-looking man with a heavily bleeding wound in his side. A toothless grin broke onto his face.

"Well, well, well," the bandit said, looking her up and down as he reached for the half-broken sword in his belt. "Back for more, eh? How is your friend?"

Donna ignored the jibe. "I'm here for my…" she paused, thinking. She could hardly call it a spaceship. Neither was it a horse. She thought a little more. "… My wooden box," she decided. "You seen it?" she continued, keeping her voice as level as she could to show she wasn't scared. "It's big. Blue. Had a lot of valuables in it."

The bandit looked taken aback, surprised at her show of fearlessness. He tried not to let it get to him. "Yeah, I seen it."

Donna waited for him to continue, but he didn't, so she raised an enquiring eyebrow. "Where?"

Suddenly the bandit threw back his head and began to roar with laughter, but the resultant force on his injury made him double-over and cough chestily, gasping for air. It was then Donna recognised who he was. It was the leader, the one who had kicked Joshua; who'd nearly broken the Doctor's neck; who'd condemned the Doctor to relentless, inhumane torture.

Donna's blood was boiling.

"Answer the question!" she demanded in a voice that the Doctor had deemed her 'scary voice'. It worked a charm. The bandit instantly stopped laughing, gazing at her in apprehension.

"We sold it," he answered quickly. "Some guy called Peter from Bowerock. Good price we got 'n all."

"Bowerock," Donna repeated. "Thank you." She started to walk forward towards the gate, but the bandit purposefully stepped in her path with a grin back on his ugly fat face. She glared at him, Donna style. "You standin' in my way?" she challenged, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the sonic, holding it in a way she hoped could be interpreted as threatening.

"Yes I am," he gruffed, eyes on Donna.

"Out of my way fatty," she demanded, holding up the sonic screwdriver to his eyes. "I'm not afraid to use it!"

He looked at it warily, but within seconds had put on an assertive face. "Little thing like that ain't gonna do nuffin'."

"Oh yeah?" she raised the sonic and pointed it at a log nearby, praying it was on a good setting as she pressed the button. The bandit nearly jumped out his skin at the strange high-pitched whine the device made, staring in fear and confusion at the beam of bright-blue light coming from the tip. It was only a matter of seconds before the log spontaneously erupted into flame and the bandit shrieked like a little girl.

He pointed a finger at Donna, his eyes wide. "Witch!" he shrieked, "witch!"

"And yeah," she said, gesturing him away. "You'd better bloody run mate, else I'll turn ya into a frog."

The bandit screamed and ran away across the mud, seemingly undeterred by his wound in favour of being turned into a frog. Donna Noble put on a satisfied smirk, and headed back towards the village.

* * *

_Flashback…_

_Jack and Rose had gone, leaving Father Jace and Gabrielle with the Doctor. It was eerily silent, Gabrielle busy tending to the Doctor as Father Jace continued his prayers. Jack and Rose had been gone for a good hour now and the Doctor didn't seem to be getting either better or worse._

_"He needs water," Gabrielle announced after a moment, looking up at Father Jace._

_He nodded, getting to his feet. "I shall go get some."_

_"Hurry," Gabrielle begged, resting her hand on the Doctor's forehead._

_Ten minutes passed before she finally heard the sound of footsteps coming to camp. She called out, but there was no reply. She called out again, thinking he may not have heard her, but again there was no reply. The footsteps got louder and louder, and suddenly Gabrielle realised it was not Father Jace. She got onto her feet and began to back away, torn between running for her life and staying to protect the defenceless Doctor._

_"'Ere! They're right 'ere!"_

_She recognised the voice. It was the bandit who had been guiding them. He'd run away, gone back to camp to fetch him bandit friends to come and slaughter them…_

_Before she could even make a decision on what to do an army of bandits appeared through the trees and spotted her. She panicked, looking down at the Doctor still comatose on the floor. If she started running now she could easily get away… but she could hardly leave the Doctor here alone…_

_"Stay righ' there!" a deep voice gruffed and she froze. "Goo' work, Boz." The bandits began to fill in the camp, surveying their prisoners._

_"There're more," the bandit she recognised to have been guiding them said. "Two men and another woman."_

_"Don't matter," the particularly large one she thought to be their leader said. "These two are enough." His eyes snapped to Gabrielle, who was kneeling on the floor absolutely terrified, her arms covering the Doctor's body. "You," he said to Gabrielle. "What's wrong with him?"_

_"He's sick," she said, voice barely above a whisper._

_"Is he dyin'?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Good," the leader said, and gestured to the Doctor. "Pick 'im up, we'll take 'em back to camp."_

_One of the bandits stepped forward and swiftly lifted the Doctor in both arms, flinging his body carelessly over his shoulder. Another moved towards Gabrielle, raised a club, and brought it down over her head._


	17. Seeking the TARDIS

**A/N:** I'm actually a chapter ahead! Can you believe that?! It's crazy!

* * *

Chapter 17 – Seeking the TARDIS

Donna pushed open the bedroom door and peeked inside, beaming from ear-to-ear with the prospect of knowing where the TARDIS was. She saw the Doctor – a lot more colour in his cheeks than when she had left – sat up against the pillows shirtless, his eyes closed. Martin was still next to him, wiping the Time Lord's forehead with a cloth. He looked up on her entry, and smiled for the first time in days.

"He woke up long enough for me to say where you had gone… He was not very happy."

Donna rolled her eyes. "He never is." She paused, watching the Doctor for a moment. "Where's Bowerock, Martin?"

He seemed surprised to be asked the question out of the blue. "Bowerock? It's the next village, it's not far, about twenty miles."

Donna winced. She couldn't walk that.

Martin saw her expression and laughed, thinking for a moment. "I believe there is a cart going to Bowerock in a few hour's time. You could try and ask for travel assistance."

She perked up. "Where can I find the guy driving?"

"You'll want to see Joesph about that. He keeps the stables next to the blacksmith's."

Donna thanked him, turning to leave back out the door but almost getting run over by Joshua as he zoomed into the room, running under her arm and clambering onto the bed beside the Doctor, a fresh bottle of ointment in his clutch. Little hands began to work the ointment carefully into the wounds on the Doctor's abdomen, and Donna smiled at the sight.

"Hey, Josh, you promise me you'll look after him while I'm gone?"

He looked at her and grinned. "Yeah!"

Donna smiled then, and left.

* * *

_Flashback…_

_"Where are they?!" Rose was panicking on the spot as Jack did a quick run around the perimeter of the camp, shouting for their lost friends. He eventually returned to her, anxiety clear on his face._

_ "No sign," he muttered, trying to keep calm. They had been so optimistic on the way back, a tube of nanogene water in Rose's firm clutch stolen from right under the bandits' noses, but now it looked as though it would never be used… "Where the hell are they?"_

_ "Jack? Rose?" suddenly came a small voice from the trees and they both whirled around to see Father Jace tentatively emerging, looking a little shaken. Jack quickly moved forward to support him, guiding him to sit down on a log._

_ "What happened?" Jack asked quickly. _

_ "Gabrielle asked me to fetch some water for the Doctor, so I went, but when I came back the bandits were in the camp…"_

_ Jack cursed under his breath. "And?"_

_ "They took the Doctor and hit Gabrielle over the head, took her too…"_

_ Jack suddenly stood up, eyes scouring the surroundings. "I knew the bandit camp was too empty. We should've moved our base camp, as soon as the bandit left us… If we'd…" He trailed off, looking at Rose. She was staring at the nanogene water held in her hand – now the most useless thing in the world. She suddenly snapped back to attention, looking up at Jack._

_ "Well instead of all these 'what if's' how about we get to the bandit camp and get them back?" Rose suggested, looking at the unesless nanogene water. "How long have we got?"_

_ Jack shrugged. "I don't know, his kidney's have probably gone by now. That gives us barely an hour."_

_ Rose pocketed the tube and straightened up, renewed with a sense of determination._

_ "We can make it."_

_ He nodded. "Allons-y."_

_

* * *

  
_

The Doctor woke up, feeling slightly naked.

Pain instantly hit him, but it wasn't as bad as he'd come to feel over the past few days. He stank to high heaven of herbs and ointments, and could feel someone wiping his chest with something. The contact hurt, but he didn't have the inclination to complain. He opened his eyes to see a grinning Joshua above him, moving the cloth to wipe over the Time Lord's face.

"Hey Josh," he said, smiling. His voice was weak with pain and fatigue.

The boy widened his grin. "Do you feel better now?" he asked.

The Doctor nodded. "Lots, thanks to all this work you're doing."

Pride suddenly shone on Joshua's face. "Promised Donna I'd look after you," he boasted, and within an instant his attention had snapped back to what he was doing, even more carefully than before. The Doctor turned his head to see Martin sitting next to him, wearing a wide smile.

"Do you require anything?" he asked instantly.

"No, thanks. Where's Donna?"

Martin grimaced at the question, already knowing the reaction. "She has gone to the stables."

The Doctor raised an enquiring eyebrow. "Why?"

Martin seemed uncomfortable, losing eye contact with the Time Lord as he twiddled his thumbs nervously. "She has discovered the location of the TARDIS, and has gone to enquire about a cart leaving for the town of Bowerock."

The Doctor sighed, making to get up to go after her but his ribs were quick to stop him in mid-movement as pain shot through them, surprising him more than anything. He cried out as Joshua shrank back, his hand cradling the right side of his ribs before he let himself relax again on the bed. He'd been falling in and out of consciousness for so long he'd forgotten just how badly he had been hurt. His eyes scanned over his body, seeing large, colourful bruises painting pretty much every part of bare skin he could see – and now he could see them, they instantly began to hurt.

"Don't move," Martin said gently. "Joshua, could you go and fetch Donna?"

Joshua instantly dropped the cloth, jumping off of the bed and running out the door in a blur of speed. If the Doctor had blinked, he might have missed it.

"How long have I been out?" he asked, moving the arm that screamed the least when he moved it to check himself over. Possible fracture to the right clavicle and right ulna; five cracked ribs on both sides, two of which potentially broken; fractured left femur and fractured right fibula; major lacerations to front and back of torso; major contusions to pretty much everything else, and who knew the damage his head had taken as he was almost blinded by a severe headache and he could only see properly out of one eye. And that was only the external injuries. He needed the TARDIS, preferably _before_ he punctured a lung.

"You have been fading in and out for a couple of days," Martin answered. "We have tended to you as best we could."

"You've done well," the Doctor said, "I should've died."

"It was Donna more than anyone. She would not let you die."

The Doctor smiled a little. "Nah, she's too stubborn for that."

"What am I?" a sudden loud accusatory tone of voice came from the doorway as a blur of Joshua came through the door and back onto the bed. The Doctor and Martin looked up to Donna. The Doctor grinned, and Donna's face spread into a genuine smile.

"You're too stubborn," the Doctor repeated.

"Cheeky," she said, moving forward to sit on the chair beside the bed. "Feelin' better, then?"

"Much, thanks," he replied, before his face morphed into one of disapproval. "Not happy with you, though."

She raised her hands in defence. "Hey! I found out where the TARDIS is! You should be _thankin' _me, Space Boy."

"Where is she?"

"Bowerock. S'not far, twenty miles. There's a cart goin' there and everythin'."

"I'm coming with you."

This sentence seemed to stun everyone into silence, though Donna looked more incredulous than surprised.

"No you're bloody well not," she replied simply, arms folded.

"Donna," the Doctor started in a patronising tone. "When you get to Bowerock and find the TARDIS, what were you planning to do next?"

"Well," she began confidently. "Of courseI was gonna get to the TARDIS and then…" She paused. Thought for a moment. "Ah."

"When does this cart leave?"

"'Bout an hour."

"Okay. Plenty of time. Where's my coat?"

Donna was obviously still sceptical. "This journey's gonna take the night… It's gonna be bumpy…"

"Well aware," he replied, and inclined as best he could towards his clothes folded on the chair, washed and mended by the kind-hearted Elizabeth.

"Med pack," he said. "Right coat pocket. Silver box with a green moon on the side."

Donna moved over to the coat, and began to hunt through his extensive pockets. She missed the small gesture the Doctor gave Martin, who nodded back.

"Come on, Joshua," Martin suddenly said, and the boy, absorbed by the conversation between Donna and the Doctor, turned back to his father. "Let's go make some food for the Doctor and Donna for their journey."

Joshua leant forward gave the Doctor a small hug, running over to Donna and giving her one before running out the door, followed by Martin. Donna turned back to the Doctor, holding a slim metal case with a green moon printed on the side.

She held it up. "This it?"

He affirmed, beckoning her over. She set it down on the bed, making to open it before she realised she had absolutely no idea _how _to. She ran her hands over it, trying to find some kind of button or latch, but it was smooth like a pebble. She spent a minute trying to open it, eventually looking up when she heard a loud snort of laughter. The Doctor was sitting there watching her, laughing.

"I'll slap you," she warned. He grinned, indicating her to lift the pack to him and he raised his hand, tapping it on its lid twice. It sprang open instantly, and Donna blinked in surprise, before releasing a sigh.

"Shoulda realised," she said as a million medical instruments and materials were revealed to her. "Bigger on the inside."

He raised a hand to point over at the right side. "You want the thing that looks like a black gun, with the chamber missing."

"So you plan to shoot yourself!" Donna surmised, giving a shrug. "Well, that's one solution."

He smiled as she rifled through the extensive slots, pulling out what he's requested. He pointed to the left of the case. "Tube of blue liquid, snap it onto the gun." She did so, and he pointed to a spot on his neck, grimacing as he moved his injured limb. "Shoot me in the neck, right there."

Donna obliged, resting the muzzle against the place he'd pointed and pulling the trigger. There was a faint hissing sound and the blue liquid was gone, the Doctor's letting out a contented sigh.

"What was that?"

"Super-duper painkiller," he said, his voice no longer weak with pain. "Only problem is, I lose feeling in my legs… Ah, there they go."

Donna was already picking up his bundle of clothes, depositing them on the bed. She paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You are _wearin' _summat, right?"

The Doctor paused, and frowned. "I think I am." He lifted the covers to check. "Yes, I am." He wrinkled his nose. "Oh blimey, don't want to _think _how long they've been on."

Donna turned her attention back to the still open medical kit, digging out a reel of bandages. She turned back to the Doctor, holding it up in the air. "Right, tell me where you're hurt, and I'll wrap a bandage around it."

* * *

_Flashback…_

_When Jack, Rose and Father Jace reached the bandit camp, the bandits were in an uproar. Even from where the three knelt behind a knoll overlooking the camp they could hear boisterous discussions of two captured prisoners they were going to hold for ransom. From what they could make out, the prisoners – a man and a woman – were being held in Malum's tent, being subjected to 'interrogation'. They could only dread to think what that meant._

_ "We need to get into this Malum's tent, give the Doctor the water, and get them out," Jack said, already forming a plan in his head. He turned to Rose, his expression serious. "Rose, do you trust me?"_

_ "Of course."_

_ "I've got a plan, but it's gonna be dangerous. For me and for you."_

_ "I don't care. We need to save them."_

_ Slowly a smile spread onto his face. "Right." He turned to Father Jace. "Forgive me, Father, but can you find us some manure, please? Fresh as you can. I'll start tying Rose up."_


	18. Malum

**A/N:** Okay, no longer a chapter up. And an essay down. Screw that. (plays Final Fantasy)

* * *

Chapter 18 - Malum

_Flashback…_

_Jack Harkness marched into the bandit camp, covered head-to-toe in dung with his clothes ripped and torn. In his grip he held Rose Tyler, tied at the wrists, desperately struggling to get free. The other bandits suddenly stopped dead, not recognising the new face._

_ "What yer lookin' at?!" Jack demanded, affecting the appropriate accent. _

_ One of the bandits stepped up to him in a threatening manner, cracking his knuckles. "Who the hell are yer?!" he grunted._

_ "I'm…" he paused, but not long enough to cause suspicion. "…John… Malum!"_

_ The bandit suddenly stopped dead. "Yer the boss' brother?"_

_ "Damn righ' I am," Jack replied, giving Rose a little shove. "Caugh' this beauty in der woods. Get out meh way, I'm gonna go 'ave some fun. Where's a free tent?"_

_ The bandit inclined with a hand, staring at Rose with a lustful look in his eyes. "Dere."_

_ Rose struggled appropriately in Jack's grip as he dragged her off in the direction the bandit had pointed, straight into a free tent. As soon as they were in, Jack made sure there were no gaps in the fabric of the door before he turned to Rose, grinning._

_ "Stage one complete!" he whispered lowly, undoing the binds around her wrists. "Dunno what you think, but I think Malum's tent is the posh lookin' one next to the river with the guards all over it."_

_ She nodded. "Me too. So what happens now?"_

_ Jack suddenly stiffened, a look of intense concentration on his face. He turned to Rose. "Make noises!" he whispered._

_ Rose looked confused. "Huh?"_

_ "Orgasm noises!"_

_ She stared at him for a moment, before realising why. "Oh…" she paused, clearing her throat. "Oh, oh, yes! Don't stop!" She lowered her voice again, "so you're goin' off to find it?"_

_ Jack was examining the back of the tent. "Yeah. Escape isn't likely to be silent. As soon as you start hearin' people yellin', you get the hell out, all right?"_

_ She nodded, before raising her voice again. "Oh, John… JOHN! OH!" She looked back to Jack, but instead found a gun being offered to her. She stared in shock._

_ "There're six bullets in here, no refills. If you're cornered, if they start tryin' anythin', use it."_

_ Rose was still staring, her eyes wide. "I can't, Jack… I don't even know _how_…"_

_ "Aim and pull the trigger. This one's automatic, so you can keep shootin' until you're out."_

_ "Jack…" _

_ "Rose, please. Even if you don't use it. It'll be a weight off of my mind, knowin' you've got protection. These men only want one thing from you. Please don't give it to them."_

_ After a moment's consideration, Rose took the cold object from Jack's hand and held it in both of hers. The look in Jack's eyes spoke a thousand words._

_ "Thank you," he said. Then he was gone._

_

* * *

_

Martin was the one to carry the now dressed Doctor to the cart, setting him on the soft straw. Donna clambered onto the cart next to him, smiling and waving at the bystanders who'd gathered to wave them off. Donna couldn't see Joshua amongst them. Soon they were off and out of the village, and the waving people disappeared. Donna turned to the Doctor, who was lying on the straw unable to move much.

"Told you this was a bad idea," Donna said, moving up to sit next to his head. He rolled his eyes.

"I'll be fine. The painkiller should last the journey," he said, before they jolted over a bump and he winced, badly. Donna sighed, quickly checking his hearts. Well, at least they were both beating now.

"Hi Donna! Hi Doctor!" a voice suddenly said from the side, and the adults almost jumped out of their skin as the small brown-haired boy they'd come to love sat up next to them, covered in straw. Evidently he'd buried himself in it. "Are we there yet?"

* * *

_Flashback…_

_Jack had learnt some very good lessons from the Doctor concerning infiltration… Walk about like you own the place… Give plenty of eye contact… Smile at any passer-bys… Within moments he was entering Malum's tent, leaving two very confused guards still standing outside._

_ It was dark and silent inside even though the bright midday sun shone outside. Jack blinked; trying to adjust to the light before he suddenly heard a small whimper from across the tent._

_ "Doctor? Gabrielle?" he whispered, and the whimper turned into a gasp._

_ "Jack?" It was Gabrielle. Jack moved forward, eyes still trying to adjust to the light. "Is that you?"_

_ "Yeah, it's me," he replied softly, moving forward. He could see the outline of two figures just ahead of him, crouched in the corner of the tent. "Are you okay?"_

_ "The Doctor, he…" she choked, and now Jack was closer he could see Gabrielle was sat beside the Doctor, holding him. "Malum… He's…"_

_ "Shush," Jack said gently, kneeling down next to them. He could see the pair's faces now – Gabrielle's was full of pain, terror and anxiety, the Doctor was still unconscious. "Did they hurt you?" he asked the woman as he reached for the Doctor's neck, checking his pulse. _

_ She evaded the question. "It… It doesn't matter. The Doctor won't wake up."_

_ "No, he's in a coma," Jack replied, deciding not to pursue the matter. "I've got the holy water, though. Gimme a hand…"_

_ As Jack and Gabrielle pulled the Doctor to lean up against a support strut, Jack's fingers brushed something cold around the Doctor's arms. His eyes were now fully adjusted to the minimal light, and he turned the Doctor over to find chains wrapped around his arms from his elbows to his wrists. Jack was pretty sure if the Doctor were awake he'd be more than a little uncomfortable. Now Jack was looking, he could see more around the Time Lord's legs, from halfway up his thighs to his ankles. Someone _really_ hadn't wanted him to get away. He felt just the tiniest hint of anger at whoever had done this to his best friend. His eyes flickered up to Gabrielle, but she didn't have any restraints. He frowned._

_ "If you're not tied up, how come you didn't run away?" he asked, genuinely confused. _

_ She shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't want to leave him," she whispered back. There was a brief pause of silence. "…Don't tell him."_

_ Jack sighed. Another blonde girl in love with the Doctor. Was the cycle never-ending?_

_ "Okay," he said, reaching inside his pocket and taking the nanogene water out, lifting it and pressing the top to the Doctor's lips. "C'mon, Doc, c'mon…" Jack coaxed, tipping it down the Doctor's throat until the entire tube had been used._

_He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing recovering would be long, but at least they were out of the woods. Next he reached into the Doctor's jacket pocket and thankfully found the sonic within. He pulled it out and flicked to setting J98 – having become very familiar with it since he'd started travelling with the Doctor again. He was about to buzz at the lock on the chains when suddenly the sound of heavy footsteps rang out from outside the tent, and murmur of deep voices._

_ Malum had returned._

_ Jack cursed, slipping the sonic inside his pocket and looking around the tent as to any place to hide. He panicked as he couldn't find anything, but then he spotted a cupboard over the other side of the room and he quickly ran and dove behind it, hidden from view._

_ Seconds later the material door opened and light streamed into the tent. Jack fought the urge to cry out as his eyes exploded with pain. As they readjusted to the new light Jack peered around the edge of the cupboard, to get a good look at their enemy and almost cried out in surprise._

_ Old, feeble man. Walking stick. Cataracts. Malum. Matthew Malum. It was the man who had tried to make the villagers hate them. _He _was the bandit leader? Behind Malum stood another figure, a much younger and stronger man who was eyeing the Doctor in contempt._

_ "He's still not awake?" Malum asked in disbelief. The man standing behind him stepped forward towards the Doctor, placing a few kicks to his stomach. He didn't even make a sound. "Almost dead. Bury him, finish him off."_

_ "No, no, please…" Gabrielle begged, but all she got for her pleas was a slap around the head. Jack could only watch, helpless, as the young man behind Matthew Malum stepped forward towards the Doctor and threw him over his shoulder, stepping back out into the camp._

_ "And now for you…" Malum said to Gabrielle, eyes sparkling with delight. Gabrielle whimpered in fear, and Jack chose his moment to attack. He jumped out from behind the cupboard and grabbed Malum from behind, hand clamped over his mouth._

_ "Make a sound and I'll rip your damn head off, I swear," Jack grunted down his ear. Malum remained silent. "You're gonna show me where your little bandit buddies have taken my friend, then you're gonna order them to let him and Gabrielle go and then we are all gonna walk out of here, unscathed. Is that understood?"_

_ Malum nodded silently. _

_ "Good. Let's move."_


	19. Digging a Grave

**A/N:** AGH! I haven't even written a WORD of the next chapter yet!

* * *

Chapter 19 – Digging A Grave

They hadn't counted on it starting to rain.

It was just a light drizzle at first, which the Doctor characteristically fobbed off. But then it started to hammer it down. Donna tried desperately to shield the Doctor from the worse of it, but the coat she put over him was soon soaked through and the Doctor was left helplessly trembling in the straw, the rain freezing his wounds inside out. Joshua curled up next to him under the coat in and effort to try and share body warmth, but when the Doctor finally gave up and slipped out of consciousness Donna resigned to herself and draped her body over his to offer warmth. His trembling minimised, but he didn't wake up.

It was hours before the rain stopped and even longer before the Doctor stopped trembling. The sun was beginning to rise and with it thankfully brought heat onto the travellers. The cart temporarily stopped to allow the horses a break, and in that time Donna and Joshua tried to get the Doctor warmed up. He made no progress to consciousness by the time the cart was moving again. Shortly after they gave up Joshua fell asleep, and the Doctor finally opened his eyes blearily, blinking up at Donna.

"I passed out again, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did," she replied, tucking his coat around him. "We've still got a few hours to go. Is the painkiller still workin'?"

"Yes," he lied, letting his eyes close again. "Ugh, I feel like I've done ten rounds with Tyson."

"Knowin' you, you probably have," Donna said, watching him carefully. They jolted over a bump, and the Doctor visibly refrained himself from crying out. She audibly sighed. This was going to be a long journey.

* * *

_Flashback…_

_The Doctor woke up. That was a feat in itself._

_ He was moving, definitely. At first guess he'd think he was being carried over someone's shoulder, and knew from instinct that it wasn't Jack. He tried to move but his body felt completely numb… and then the memories came flooding back._

_ He should be dead. He had fallen into a healing coma completely involuntarily, but even with that, by rights he should be dead. He tried to open his eyes but even if he had managed to, his world was in darkness._

_ Suddenly he hit wet earth with a thud, giving a shock to his system. Something was holding his arms rigid behind his back, whilst he cold feel more cold binds winding up around his legs. Voices were distant and hard to understand, but he could just about decipher the gruff tones of what could only be bandits near him._

_ "Don't make it luxury, dig a hole and throw him in."_

_ The Doctor stopped trying to move and instead went completely still, trying to comprehend what he'd just heard. Dig… hole… throw… him… No! He wasn't dead! He managed to shift slightly on the ground and to his great relief someone seemed to notice him, and he heard footsteps towards him._

_ "'E's still alive," a voice said, sounding surprised._

_ "Doesn't matter. Keep digging."_

_ "Awright."_

_ What? No! He tried to speak but his throat was so sore it was even painful to breathe. He was starting to get the feeling back in his limbs now – not that the restraints allowed him to move much anyway._

_ "Okay, that'll do." A pair of hands grabbed his bound arms and pulled him across the floor until the floor seemed to disappear from beneath him. The next thing he knew, he'd landed on more wet mud, this time in an enclosed space. He was struggling heartily now, trying in vain to slip out of his binds but the instant he felt something hit his chest, he knew he had no choice but to accept his fate._

_ He was going to be buried alive._

_

* * *

  
_

English weather was just as bizarre in the Middle Ages as it was in the 21st century, Donna noted. It had rained heavily on them for most of the night, but now she was gently sizzling in the hot morning sun. At least their clothes were now dry, she reasoned. She didn't want hypothermia and she was pretty sure neither the Doctor nor Joshua did either.

When the cart reached its final destination the boys were both sound asleep, looking just as adorable as each other. Donna reached out to shake the Doctor's uninjured shoulder, and groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.

"We're here," she announced. "Get up, you lazy bum."

He struggled upright, pushing himself up with his good arm, looking around his surroundings. "That was quick," he commented. Donna glared at him. "Point taken," he said, before reaching to shake Joshua awake.

The boy groaned as opened his eyes, staring up at the Doctor. His mouth spread into a wide grin. "Hi!" he said brightly.

The Doctor grinned back. "Hi."

"Are we there yet?" Joshua asked.

Donna laughed. "Yeah, we are!" She pushed herself off of the cart and onto the floor, holding out her arms to Joshua. "Down you get!"

Joshua obediently shifted forward into Donna's arms, who lifted him down off of the cart and onto both feet. He beamed up at her as she turned back to the Doctor, offering her arms to him too. He stared at her, eyebrow raised.

"C'mon!" she prompted. "If I leave you here you'll just find somethin' to blow up."

He sighed heavily, shuffling forward towards her. She supported him as he got down off the cart and onto both feet, trying not to scream as he clung desperately onto Donna. He attempted to numb the pain but even he couldn't block out the agony of his two individually broken legs, now trying to support his entire body weight.

"All right?" Donna asked.

"Fine," he squeaked. Joshua giggled at his voice and reached up to support him accordingly.

"So we're looking for a guy named Peter with a big blue box," Donna summed up, looking at the two boys. "Any ideas spring to mind?"

"Ask around?" Joshua suggested.

Donna smiled. "I like your thinkin'."

* * *

_Flashback…_

_Rose Tyler sat in eerie silence in the tent with only her own breathing for company. She didn't have a way of telling the time, but she could assume that it had been at least twenty minutes since Jack had left her. She still held the gun he had given her in her right hand, her sweaty palm clutching the sleek black metal. _

_ There was only silence outside. No one seemed to be around. She didn't know whether that was good or bad. She could only stare at the wall of the tent, listening, waiting, dreading. She wondered, not for the first time, if the Doctor was still alive. If the plan had gone without a flaw, surely they would be back here by now, whisking her away to run before they got caught? Maybe it was the plan? Maybe she was being needlessly paranoid?_

_ Suddenly she heard two pairs of footsteps from outside. They were neither the footsteps of the Doctor nor Jack – too heavy, too slow – she took a quick breath, the gun still in her palm as she curled into the foetal position, trying to remain as quiet as possible. Gruff voices became louder. There were two of them, maybe three…_

_ "In 'ere."_

_ She instantly knew they were going to come into the tent. Hers eyes flickered to the place Jack had exited but before she could make a move, the entrance opened and two large bandits entered, evil grins on dirty faces as they began to walk towards her._

_ "St… Stay back!" she stuttered, backing across the mattress. "I'm warnin' you!"_

_"We only wanna play…" one said mockingly as they moved closer and closer. She was backed up as far as she could go, the gun still weighty in her palm but she couldn't bring herself to raise it. Travelling with the Doctor had made her aware of just how much damage such a small thing could do._

_ They were metres away now, and Rose was almost suffocated by the overwhelming stench of dung. Raise the gun, she kept telling herself, raise the gun Rose, just raise the gun!_

_ She gripped it in both hands, trembling as she raised the firearm to point at the bandits. She could just imagine the Doctor's disappointed facial expression in her head. "Stay back," she commanded, "or I'll shoot!"_

_ The bandits suddenly stopped, frowning at her in confusion. It was then Rose realised that they probably didn't have a _clue _what she was holding, or just what it was capable of. After a moment's consideration of the seemingly blunt knife in her hands, the bandits exchanged a shrug and began to walk forward once more._

_ She didn't have a choice. Her blood was pounding through her ears as she closed her eyes; the gun feeling like it weighed a ton…_

_ "I'm sorry, Doctor," she muttered, and pulled the trigger._


	20. First Kill

**A/N:** Vaguely nearish to the end now.

* * *

Chapter 20 – First Kill

_Flashback…_

_"All right, stop what you're doing or the old guy gets it!"_

_ The bandits spun around in alarm at the sound of the new voice, eyes widening. A man held their leader helpless in his grip, his hands just about ready to break the old man's neck. The man Jack recognised from the tent raised a hand to the other bandits standing near him, unease clear on his face._

_ "Where's my friend? Answer carefully!"_

_ "There," the man before him gestured towards the ground. Jack frowned in puzzlement._

_ "But…"_

_ Then he realised._

_ "What?!" he gasped, eyes shooting wide open in shock. He suddenly dropped Malum and launched forward onto the churned up dirt, scrambling frantically with his hands like a dog digging for a bone. "Doctor! Can you hear me?! I'm gonna get you out!"_

_ Suddenly he felt something cold and sharp rest on the back of his exposed neck. The contact made him shudder and fall still as he realised he'd just thrown away the only advantage he had actually had._

_ "Turn around slowly," a voice demanded. "I don't like killing a man when he has his back turned."_

_ Jack decided to stand his ground. "I want my friend. That's all. Please, let me take him and go, and you'll never see us again."_

_ "You don't get off that lightly. Turn around."_

_ "Who are you?" Jack asked, still facing the other way, his hands in the air. "You don't sound like a bandit."_

_ "I am Alexander Malum, son of Matthew Malum."_

_ Jack frowned. "But you're dead. Matthew Malum's family died of the plague."_

_ "I was saved," Alexander replied. "By the healing water."_

_ A new voice joined the conversation – Matthew Malum himself. "I have led the bandits in this forest for ten years, now. We discovered the healing water and as soon as my wife and son showed symptoms of the plague, I rushed to them with the water. My wife died before I could reach her."_

_ Jack felt the coldness of the sword press into his neck a little more forcefully. He had no choice but to turned around, and face his execution. He kept his hands in the air as he shuffled around on his knees to look up at the faces of the two Malums towering above where he knelt. Alexander raised his sword, Jack closed his eyes…_

_ BANG!_

_ The entire group around them jumped in surprise at the sound of the loud, sharp, deep sound. Jack opened his eyes as the sword moved away from him, the bandits' eyes wide with fear._

_ "Wha' was tha'?" one of them asked, but Jack already knew. That had been a gunshot, and the only person in Medieval England that had a gun in their hands right now, was Rose Marion Tyler. _

_ There were more gasps as the flap of a nearby tent opened and a bandit staggered out, hand clutching at his chest where blood fell from between his fingers. He strode a few places, and then promptly collapsed onto the floor, dead. Suddenly the tent flap opened again and another bandit came running out, eyes wide and terrified with his arms in the air._

_ "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" he yelled. "SHE'S A WITCH! SHE'LL KILL YOU WITH HER MAGICKS! RUN!"_

_ Then the bandits didn't seem so terrifying. They squealed and began to scatter, arms in the air, frantic to get out. Seconds later Rose slipped out the tent, the gun in her tight clutch, blood down her front. Jack shook his head slowly at the sight of her, mouthing the same word over and over again…_

_ "No."_

_ Rose marched up to the Malums, giving Jack a side-glance but showing no remorse for what she had just done. She pointed the barrel at Alexander's head._

_ "Give me the Doctor," she said coolly, her expression set in stone._

_ "Rose," Jack said lowly, eyes transfixed to the blood on her hoody, his hands still in the air. "They buried him alive. Here." He inclined with his head._

_ "Get him out," Rose said, still calm. "Now."_

_ Jack dropped his arms and began to frantically dig through the mud with his hands, trying desperately to reach the Doctor before it was too late. They all remained in tense silence as he got deeper and deeper, closer and closer._

_ "He'd better be alive," Jack heard Rose warn the Malums. "For your sake."_

_ Jack tried to ignore the despair rising in him at the situation as he continued to scrabble through the mud, calling out for the Doctor. A minute had passed until he called out once more and he finally heard a muffled voice seemingly replying – but it was so faint, he could've been imagining it._

_ "Doctor?" he called again, tentative. There was a long pause, and Jack was almost about to give up when he heard something from below…_

_ "Jack…"_

_ It was weak, but it was a reply! A huge smile suddenly spread itself onto Jack's face. "Hold on, Doc! I'm comin'!" he assured the Time Lord, but he didn't get a reply. He furiously dug until his hands were red raw, then he finally hit something. Euphoria running through him, he felt around a bit more… was that a shoulder? Damn, if only he'd come out lower…_

_ Sexual thoughts aside, he tightened his grip on the apparent shoulder and began to pull with everything he had. In moments he had brought it to the surface of the hole, and the pale skin of a face appeared. Jack quickly reached down and pulled the Time Lord's upper half out of the hole, wiping the mud away from his eyes, nose and mouth. One more hearty tug and the Time Lord was clear, on solid ground in the clutch of his best friend._

_ "Doc," Jack whispered, the joy in his voice like a burst of fresh air. "Talk to me."_

_ "You stink," the Doctor said before launching into a coughing fit, bringing up specks of mud all over Jack but he didn't mind. He wiped more flecks of mud from the Doctor's face, revealing small cuts where the mud thrown onto him contained sticks and stones. Jack's attention then turned to the chains wrapped around the Doctor's arms and legs, picking the sonic screwdriver out of the Doctor's inside jacket pocket and buzzing at the lock on his arms. With a click it pinged open, and the Doctor's arms finally rose back to their normal position. Jack quickly checked for dislocation but found none – though they were going to be sore for a while to come. He buzzed the lock on his legs and pulled away those chains too, before holding the Doctor to him again, who coughed up a little more mud. After a few moments his deep brown eyes flickered open, looking around his surroundings in a daze before finally fixing on Jack's face. Jack spread a grin, and the Doctor returned a weak smile._

_ "Is he okay, Jack?" came a voice from the side, almost forgotten in the escapade. Jack looked up automatically, but his heart plummeted when he found Rose still holding a gun to the Malums. He dropped his head back down to look at the Doctor, only to find the Time Lord was looking at Rose too – his eyes wide in horror._

_ "Rose," he whispered. "What are you doing?"_

_ "What does it look like?" Rose enquired in a voice the Doctor didn't like, her eyes dark, thin slits._

_ "Rose," he said again, trying to push himself onto two feet but kept stumbling on his weakened legs. He finally made it to Rose, using Jack to hold onto as he got to his full height beside the woman. "Put the gun down. Walk away. You're better than this."_

_ "They deserve to die!" Rose yelled, tears in her eyes. "The attack on the village! Those innocent people who died! They buried you alive, Doctor!"_

_ "I know, Rose," the Doctor said gently, managing to let go of Jack and stand on his own two feet. "But even if they do deserve to die, you are not the person to do the execution. Give me the gun."_

_ She strengthened her grip on the gun, still raised to the Malums. "You can't stop me."_

_ "If you want to shoot them…" The Doctor moved in front of the cowering Malums, pressing his chest against the tip of the gun barrel. "You have to shoot me first."_

_ "Get out of the way, Doctor!"_

_ "No," he said firmly. "Please, don't do this. You're not like this. This isn't my Rose."_

_ Rose's bottom lip trembled. "I just want to protect you," she whispered. "Keep you safe."_

_ "I know. And I'm safe, see? Head, arms, legs, nose. I'm all here. The only person posing a threat to me right now, Rose Tyler, is the person holding the gun against my chest."_

_ Her eyes locked with his, those deep brown eyes of the Doctor conveying a look of trust, despair and pure, undivided love. Her right hand slowly moved to the Doctor's, putting the gun into his open palm. With a sigh of relief the Doctor handed the firearm to Jack beside him as Rose began to weep uncontrollably. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly in his grip as she shuddered through her sobs._

_ "I killed someone," she whispered._

_ "I know."_

_ "Doctor, I killed someone…"_

_ He pressed a kiss to her head. "Everything's gonna be all right, Rose. I promise."_


	21. Final Distance

**A/N:** I _think _there's one chapter left after this.

As the old saying goes, "someday even this distance we'll be able to embrace"...

* * *

Chapter 21 – Final Distance

_Flashback… _

_The Doctor, Jack and Rose had arrived back at the village to a chorus of deafening cheers. The Malums had been detained at the village before the authorities from the nearest town came to pick them up. The village had had a feast in celebration of the bandits' defeat, the honoured guests being the Doctor, Jack and Rose. However, at least one person was not rejoicing._

_ As Jack happily drank his way through the night, Rose returned to the hut where she knew the Doctor resided, trying to recuperate from the hammering his body had taken over the past few days. She quietly pushed open the door to a dark interior, catching the Doctor's form laid on the bed across the room, eyes closed, chest rising and falling periodically. She padded over to the bed; dropping down next to him and reaching up to his face. She almost jumped out of her skin when a hand suddenly reached up and stilled her's, cool fingers clamped over the back of her hand as the Doctor's eyes flew open to look at her. _

_ He smiled gently. "Hey."_

_ "Hey," she said softly, reaching up with her free hand to his hair, picking out the last of the flecks of mud. She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes already. He dropped his hand and pushed himself up to sitting position, his beautiful brown eyes locking with hers. _

_ "You okay?" he asked._

_ Rose tried to nod, but she couldn't stop fresh tears falling from her eyes as she began to cry once more. "No," she whispered, grateful when he put his arms around her, holding her tight. "Every time I close my eyes… All I can see is _him_…"_

_ The Doctor sighed, closing his eyes and resting his chin on her head, which was now buried in his chest. "I can take it away," he said quietly._

_ Rose looked up. "You can what?"_

_ "I can make you forget it ever happened."_

_ She straightened up, eyes wide. _

_ "Please think about this before you rush into it," the Doctor warned quickly. "I'll get rid of the memory and send you to sleep. When you wake up you'll be completely refreshed. But that's a part of your life I'd be taking away, Rose, a part of you."_

_ "I don't care," she said. "Please, take it away."_

_ "Are you sure?"_

_ She nodded quickly, taking his hands and placing them either side of her head. He smiled gently, closing his eyes and diving into her mind._

_ A few silent seconds passed before Rose finally went limp, and the Doctor caught her in both arms. He used the last of his strength to pull her up the bed, placing her head on the pillow. Energy spent, he dropped down next to her, out like a light._

_

* * *

  
_

Josh was, for once, speechless.

He looked around in awe at the interior of the time ship, his jaw agape, little eyes flicking about all over the place as he tried to take it all in. Even with the shooting pains in his damaged legs, the Doctor couldn't help but smile at the sight as Josh ran up to the TARDIS console, poking it experimentally with a look of awe on his face.

Closing the door behind her Donna quickly moved to support the Doctor, who was heavily leaning on the railing, sweat lining his forehead. The quicker she got him to the Infirmary, the better.

"Come on, coupla steps and you'll be doin' the London Marathon tomorrow mornin'," she coaxed him gently, putting on a smile for him.

He tried to smile back, but could hardly muster the energy. Donna could see he was on his last legs; the colour that had previously returned to his cheeks drained once again to white, making the bruises and cuts on his skin look more vicious than ever.

He tried to take a step forward, but unsurprisingly, it simply could not bear his weight anymore. He slipped out of Donna's grip like a wet bar of soap and hit the floor with a thud.

Donna swore she heard the TARDIS give a small whine in response to the events. She knelt down next to him, about to shake his shoulder when she realised he'd probably broken a bone in that area and wouldn't particularly appreciate her moving it. She knew there was no chance in getting him to walk to the Infirmary now, but tried anyway.

"Come on, Doctor. I can't carry you, can I?" she said in her sternest voice. He just groaned and turned his head on the grating.

"Infirmary," he muttered. "TARDIS'll guide you. Stretcher."

* * *

_Flashback…_

_Jack wandered into the hut at 9:28am the next morning, nursing yet another aching head and wondering what it was about this place that got him drinking so much. He dropped down at the circular table in the centre, hand against his head. His eyes flickered across the room to the bed, and instantly he smiled at the sight._

_ "That is too damn cute for words!" Jack said allowed, pushing himself onto both feet and walking over to the bed, looking down on the Doctor and Rose still sleeping. During the course of the night Rose had inadvertently turned towards him and put her arm over his chest, and in return the Doctor had moved his arm around her protectively. Jack looked at the Doctor for a moment, trying to determine if he was actually breathing or not. Deciding to take a quick pulse check, Jack reached down to the Doctor's neck…_

_ The second Jack touched his skin the Time Lord suddenly jolted awake with a gasp, snapping up to sitting position and instinctively throwing his body over Rose to protect her. Jack jumped back in alarm, raising his fists in defence as the Doctor began to register his surroundings, and he realised what exactly he was doing. In a flash he had backed off of Rose, his eyes wide in alarm._

_ "Good mornin' to you too!" Jack said sarcastically as the Doctor tried to slide his arm out from underneath Rose, but she just moaned softly in her sleep and curled even more into him. Jack rolled his eyes. "Leave her alone, she's comfortable."_

_ With a resigned sigh, the Doctor laid back down on the bed, letting Rose resume her position. He reached up to her temple, doing a quick check to make sure everything he'd touched the night before was in working order. Once happy, he took his fingers off and turned his head, looking over at Jack._

_ "I had to wipe her memory," the Doctor informed him._

_ Jack nodded, already understanding. "There was really no other way."_

_ "She will never remember," the Doctor continued. "I've hid it in my own memories. No one will ever find it."_

_ Jack nodded again. "I'm glad you did. I can't watch her go through life with that guilt."_

_ "She's got the killer instinct, Jack. Did I do that?"_

_ Jack shook his head, quickly. "No, Doctor. She already had it in her. You can't change that. But really, would you rather she got raped?"_

_ The Doctor sighed. "Gabrielle did."_

_ Jack's eyes widened. "What?"_

_ "She's pregnant," the Doctor muttered. "I offered to abort… But she didn't want to."_

_ Jack didn't reply to that. He simply looked back over at Rose, thinking over what could have been, and utterly glad it wasn't. _

_

* * *

  
_

Five hours later, the TARDIS was in flight.

Inside the Doctor was at the helm, albeit a little slower-paced than usual. Donna watched him like a hawk, knowing just how severe the injuries were beneath his fresh new brown suit. The Doctor's superior healing technology had repaired the breaks and lightened the worst of the cuts and bruises, but even the crème de la crème of future technology could not work miracles.

Josh however was jumping around the console, making up for the energy the Doctor was lacking. The boy seemed to take the alien environment into his stride, the same euphoria Donna often saw in the Doctor reflected in his bounce… though he still came back to clutch onto the Doctor or Donna whenever the ship jolted.

The TARDIS landed, and the Doctor gave Josh a wide grin. "Wanna open the door?"

Josh's face broke into an irresistible smile. He spun around and ran towards the double-door entrance, pulling it open and running outside. The shriek of utter delight that followed was surely audible for miles around.

The Doctor grinned at Donna before disappearing out of the door. She could tell it wasn't often that he had had children on board the TARDIS. With a contented sigh, she followed him out onto the open and was met by a moving sight.

Martin was hugging Josh tightly in both arms, a loving father reunited with his son. Donna closed the door behind her, joining the Doctor as he looked down on the two, his hands in his pockets. Donna looked at his face, expecting him to share her joy, but instead she was surprised to find him looking down on them with a sombre expression, almost as if he found it painful to watch.

"Thank you for bringing him back," Martin said to them both.

The Doctor's face split into a grin again, all hints of his previous disposition vanished. "He's fully fed and watered, no need to panic."

Martin watched him for a moment more before he and Josh pulled apart. "I guess this is good bye once more?"

The Doctor nodded. "Places to see, people to go." He paused for a moment, frowning. "Or was it the other way around? Can never remember. Still, good luck, Martin! Say buh-bye to everyone for me?"

He looked puzzled. "You are not going to say it yourself?"

The Doctor grimaced. "Nah, never liked goodbyes. Too depressing." He gave a little farewell wave, turning to go back into the TARDIS. Donna loudly cleared her throat, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"You're forgetting someone!" she said. His eyes dropped to Josh, giving a half smile and a wave before turning back around again towards the TARDIS, but was instead surprised to find Donna suddenly between him and the safety of the TARDIS, her arms folded, foot tapping. "Properly!" she demanded. He turned back around again, looking down to Josh's face – a picture of innocence. The Doctor managed to drop on his knees through his battle wounds, holding his arms out to the boy. Josh's face broke once again into his irresistible smile as he ran forward, throwing his arms around the Time Lord and clinging on with all his might. Donna watched from a few paces, smiling broadly at the sight. Both man and boy were grinning widely in a perfect mirror image of the other. In fact, the more Donna looked, the more similarities she could see. That grin… The unruly brown hair… The deep brown eyes… Donna's smile froze on her face. Surely not…?

Then the moment was gone.


	22. Forsaken

**A/N:** I struggle through last chapters. Last chapters _really_ don't like being written by me. Oh well! Here it is. Sorry this fic took so long to write, I picked a bit of a stupid time in the exam calendar!

* * *

Chapter 22 – Forsaken

_Flashback… _

_The Doctor had allowed Father Jace to keep the one remaining unused bottle of nanogene water, but insisted that it be used sparingly and only for emergencies, and that he should tell no one he had it. Gabrielle had also said a fond farewell to them after the Doctor had checked on the baby she was carrying to find it in perfect health. Martin and Elizabeth had also waved them off, along with Larec as the last of the wounded got back onto their feet. The trio had just finished making their good byes and were making their way back to the TARDIS when a shrill, ear ringing beeping started up from out of nowhere._

_ The Doctor frowned, taking a few moments until he realised that the beeping was infact coming from him. He reached into his pocket, drawing out the slim white metal tube he'd picked up from the crashed alien vessel days previously. Its before dull and uninteresting lights were flashing alternately in some kind of crazy disco dance, then he realised what it was. _

_ He froze, looking up to see Jack and Rose staring back at him. "It's a fertilisation tube," he muttered, looking up at Rose with wide eyes._

_ Rose stared back at him. "That doesn't sound good."_

_ "It… It takes the DNA from the fingerprints of a male and female from any species that could be fertile together and…" he trailed off, not really needing to complete that sentence. _

_ Rose was still staring at the Doctor. "What does this mean exactly?"_

_ He swallowed, his eyes swivelling down to the tube in his hand. He was acutely aware of Jack stood next to Rose, grinning like mad._

_ "You and I both touched it," he finally croaked. _

_ Rose's eyes opened Bambi-wide. "You mean… In there…"_

_ He nodded, feeling slightly numb. "The combination of our chromosomes has… formed a new life."_

_ Silence proceeded for an unhealthy amount of time._

_ "Hold on," the Doctor suddenly said with realisation spreading over his face, frantically examining the tube over in both hands. "I can reverse it!"_

_ "No!" Rose burst out, flinging out her hand to catch the Doctor's wrist, stilling it. He fell silent again. "That's no better than murder and you know it."_

_ The Doctor's eyes met hers. He was ashamed. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his eyes flickering down to the floor. "I should've realised…"_

_ "It's okay," she replied, extending a hand to rest on his shoulder. "Really."_

_ "Guys," Jack suddenly interrupted softly. Rose had almost forgotten he was there. "You'd better make a decision coz that fertilisation mixture in that tube ain't gonna last long."_

_ "What? What've we gotta do?" Rose questioned, letting go of the Doctor._

_ "It's designed as a sort of IVF treatment," the Doctor began to explain, his voice still trembling, tinted with shock. "It creates the life but it still needs to be incubated in order to be born."_

_ "Do it," Rose said. "Whatever you need to inject me with, whatever I need to give birth to, just do it."_

_ "Rose…" he began, unsure._

_ Rose sighed loudly, taking the tube out of his grip and checking it over. "Where's the 'on' switch?"_

_

* * *

  
_

The Doctor slipped back inside the TARDIS, closing the door gently behind him. He walked up the ramp with his hands in his pockets, eyes glued to the floor, lost in his thoughts. He stopped at the console; finally looking up to the column of the time ship he loved so much. He sighed, reaching out hand to rest it on the controls. She throbbed beneath his palm.

The TARDIS door opened quietly behind him, and Donna Noble entered. She could tell he was in a sensitive place just by his pose, hunched over the console, gaze to the ground.

She walked up to him, resting her hand on his. Their eyes met.

"Doctor," she said gently. "If you need to talk… I'm here."

His eyes disconnected from hers to look at the floor. It took him a few moments to sum up the courage to speak, but even then it was only a broken whisper. "I'm fine."

Donna was feeling just the slightest bit agitated. "Doctor, please. You're not fine. Tell me what's goin' on inside that head of yours."

"There's nothing to tell," the Doctor said airily.

"Who is Josh to you?"

"He's Martin's son."

"I don't believe you."

The Doctor looked at her for a long moment, considering.

"Well," he began, staring straight into her eyes. "Then I guess you'll never know."

* * *

_Flashback…_

_Josh was crying again._

_ Minutes after Donna had said, 'no' after events with the Racnoss the Doctor was sat cross-legged on the floor of the TARDIS nursery, the baby boy cradled in his arms. He never seemed to stop crying… what had Rose done to make him stop all those times before? At the thought of Rose the Doctor broke a little more inside. Rose was gone; trapped in a parallel universe forever – but at least she was with her family. She'd be happy. That was all that mattered. Never mind him – he was fine, he was always fine, he'd get through…_

_ Josh continued to cry and the sound was beginning to hurt the Doctor's ears. He tried to shush the child but Josh just continued to wail in the Time Lord's arms, little tears running down his face. The Doctor could feel his own tears welling up. How was he going to do this without Rose? He couldn't even make Josh stop crying…_

_ "Please," the Doctor found himself saying to the child in his arms. "Please, just stop… Please…"_

_ Josh continued to cry._

_ "I can't do this," the Doctor whispered to the child. "I can't do this without your mother. Please forgive me. I love you."_

_ He got to his feet with the baby boy in his arms, blinded by tears as he headed out of the nursery and into the console room. He began to program one-handed, hearing the TARDIS in his head attempting to reason with him, but he ignored her. He stood back as the TARDIS lurched into action, tears falling freely down his face. The TARDIS was creaking in protest, unwilling to take her driver to the destination he wanted but still unable to refuse. She was screaming inside his head, but he just ended up shutting her out completely._

_ She landed, and it took a few tries until he managed to open the door and step outside, Josh cradled in his right arm. He'd emerged into a forest in the middle of the day, the bright sunlight shining through the summer leaves. He felt more tears run down his cheeks and onto the cradle of cloth he held in his arms, still crying with him._

_ He turned towards the direction of a footpath, and began to walk._

_

* * *

  
_

_Martin was surprised to say the least at the sound of the frenzied hammering on the door. He set down the wooden toy he was carving and hurried over to answer. He pulled open the door, and was instantly surprised by the sight that met him._

_ "Doctor!" he exclaimed, eyes flickering to the crying bundle in the other man's arms. "What are you…"_

_ "Take him," the Doctor said, and Martin was alarmed to find the tears swimming in his eyes. "Please." _

_ Martin looked down to find the crying bundle in the Doctor's arms being offered out for him to receive. He automatically took the baby into both arms, and the Doctor moved back several paces. _

_ "Doctor, what happened?" he asked, but the Doctor was already past the front gate, his eyes fixed to the child in Martin's arms._

_ "Promise me you and Elizabeth will love him, and keep him safe."_

_ "Doctor…"_

_ "Promise me!"_

_ Martin blinked, looking down at the child he held, still crying his tiny eyes out. "I promise."_

_ The Doctor nodded, a hand raising up to wipe the tear tracks from his own cheeks. "His name's Josh," he croaked. Then he was gone._

**The End**


End file.
